Taking Different Directions
by JoshuaHisbert
Summary: What would happen if Blaine had been the one that needed Kurt for help? Blaine's the new kid at McKinley, and Kurt's the only one there who seems to be interested in finding out more about this silent boy.
1. Chapter 1 Silence is Golden

**A/N: **So, I know I haven't finished my old story, but... well, let's just say this is why I shouldn't be allowed to have a notebook in science class It's soo boring!

Anyways, short chapter is short, but I hope you all enjoy :3

**Disclaimer:** If I owned glee, there would be more Klaine.

* * *

Kurt looked down at his lunch, gently pushing the untouched salad around in its container. He'd lost his appetite when he'd been thrown in a dumpster that had some old, rotten food left in it earlier that morning. Just staring down at even this _fresh_ food made him feel sick. With a grunt, he pushed it away and looked up. And unfamiliar boy with dark hair slicked down to the side was smiling at him. Kurt looked into his brown eyes, shocked that… well, shocked that someone as handsome as him was bothering to give him the time of day. His eyes were like the perfect shade of brown, capturing Kurt into staring straight into them, this faze only being broken when the boy moved to sit down across from him.

"Err… as much as I hate to say this, you may not want to sit there," Kurt told him, his voice kind and also a bit shy and apologetic. Blaine just raised an eyebrow, not moving from his position of holding the chair in front of him, his tray already on the table. Kurt couldn't help but smile at the boy as he made a small hand gesture at himself, proudly stating the two words "school queer". The brown-eyed boy nodded with a look of understanding, and sat down anyways beginning to nibble gently on his lunch. Despite enjoying company from someone that _wasn't_ in glee, Kurt couldn't help but warn the boy what this simple act could end up doing to him.

"You know, this could mean slushie facials and dumpster tosses, along with the assumptions of people thinking you're gay, along with… well, along with people thinking you're my boyfriend." To Kurt's complete and utter shock, the boy didn't leave. Instead, he let out a small chuckle, and used both of his hands to make a hang motion sweeping down his entire body. For the first time, Kurt broke eye contact with the boy and let his eyes look at his clothing. All designers; designers Kurt could recognize right away, in fact. It hit Kurt like a slushie to the face.

"So… you're gay too then?" Kurt couldn't help but smile at this possibility. Receiving a nod and a genuine smile from the other boy, Kurt couldn't help but return this smile with increasing his to a full-fledged grin – something you rarely saw out of him lately. He looked at the boy, wondering if he would say anything. Kurt couldn't help but wonder…

"Do… do you talk?"

The boy's brown eyes widened in a small panic, and he opened his mouth only to shut it a second later. Looking down at his half-eaten lunch sadly, he shook his head slowly, resting his chin in his hand. Kurt smiled sadly at him, and reached out to put his hand over the other boys, ignoring his slightly shocked reaction because he didn't pull away (he guessed he just wasn't used to human contact or something). Whatever this boy had gone through was obviously worse than what Kurt himself was going through if it had broken him down this bad. And yet, here the boy was, out and proud, wearing his designer clothing to school just like Kurt (even if it wasn't as _flashy_ as Kurt's, but still.)

Shuffling threw his bag, Kurt pulled out a pen, placing it on his unused napkin, and slid it gently across to Blaine, who just raised another eyebrow at him. Kurt smiled and let out a gentle chuckle, instructing the boy to write down his name. "I'm Kurt, Kurt Hummel. Also known as the diva who's car everyone in this school will be washing in ten years." That earned Kurt another gentle chuckle from the mute boy as he slid the napkin and pen back across to Kurt.

_'My name is Blaine Anderson. I'm a Junior this year, and I guess my parents finally realized how bad things were at my old school when I stopped talking about five months ago. They finally managed to get me out of there last month, and we moved here.'_

Blaine didn't know why he had let so much spill out, but he did. It felt okay to let Kurt know – he was like him, wasn't he? He'd likely gone through as much hell as he could if he could tell anything about this odd diva from the few minutes he'd known him. After all, if Blaine would receive all that crap from just _sitting_ with Kurt, how bad must Kurt have it?

Kurt smiled down at the note; not because he was bad that the boy had been bullied so badly, hell no, he was just glad that the boy felt as though he could open up to him. Not to mention, he was glad that Blaine's parents still cared about him even though he was gay; he just hopped that they accepted him. He couldn't help but wonder what took so long for them to pull out the boy, but figured it was just the troubles of moving. After all, if he wanted his dad to move, surely it would take some time, right?

"Well, Blaine, it's a pleasure to meet you." Kurt made a bowing motion – which was difficult, considering he was still sitting at his lunch table – and received a few odd looks and glares from the surrounding people. Not that he or Blaine noticed – their attentions were fully on one another. Blaine laughed, and snatched up the napkin in order to right down _'The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Hummel'. _The boys continued to laugh, only quieting down when a milk carton flew in their direction, narrowly missing the side of Kurt's head. Both boys had forgotten what it was to just _laugh_ for no reason but to laugh, and to be themselves with someone who could accept them for that… and it felt _good_.

The two say in silence for a few moments (well, silence except for the loud talking of the tables surrounding them), the only noise leaving their lips being the occasional chuckle that they couldn't hold back. When the bell finally rang to signal the end of lunch, the two boys stood, but neither made way to leave.

"Do you have a cellphone?" Blaine nodded quickly, and pulled out a blackberry from his pocket, handing it to Kurt. Kurt passed him his iPhone, and the two added each other's numbers without speaking, and finally handed the phones back to one another. Kurt smiled as he checked to make sure Blaine's contact had saved, and sent him a quick text to make sure the number was right.

_What class do you have next? –Kurt_

Smiling as he put his phone away, Blaine held up a notebook labeled '_Spanish I'_, and gently saved it at Kurt. A smile grew on Kurt's face as he grabbed the other boys hand.

"Fallow me."

* * *

Kurt only let go of Blaine's hand when he was pushing open the door labeled "207". Blaine forced himself not to frown at the loss of contact, but couldn't quite get a smile on his face as the glasz-eyed boy motioned for him to enter the classroom. Swallowing, he trudged into the classroom for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Sure, he _should_ be use to it by now, but he hated to feel the eyes of his classmates on him. He didn't like the be the center of attention; in fact, he would much rather have everyone ignore him as though he wasn't there.

"Mr. Shuester, this is Blaine Anderson." Kurt had led him over to the teacher's desk off in the corner of the room where he was currently sipping coffee and looking over some quiz results. Seeing as the two had arrived late for class and the rest of the class was doing a worksheet, and only a few had noticed their appearance. _'Great', _Blaine groaned. _'Late. Even _more_ a reason for everyone to notice me.'_ He savored the bit of time he had before everyone looked up to see him there.

He was snapped out of his train of thought as he heard the teacher say his name in a calm, gentle voice. The dark-haired boy looked up and him, and smiled gently. "Welcome to McKinley, Blaine. How has your first day been so far?" And with that, the smile was gone. Did teachers _always_ have to ask questions? He bit his lower lip, and opened his mouth only to shut it again as he had done with Kurt.

"Erm… Mr. Shue, Blaine doesn't really… well, he doesn't really talk." Blaine let out a sigh of relief. At least Kurt was here to explain that to him. The corner of his mouth flickered upwards into a small smile as he nodded sharply, letting the teacher know that was Kurt said was indeed the truth. Mr. Shuester just smiled and nodded, telling Kurt to go ahead and take his seat. With a gentle squeeze of the boy's shoulder, Kurt whispered the word _'Courage' _into his ear, and made his way towards the back of the classroom to sit besides Mercedes, flashing a warm smile at her. She smiled back, and just as she was about to ask why he was late, Mr. Shuester called for everyone's attention.

Looking up, she saw the Glee Club instructor's hands placed gently on the shoulders of the boy who had just entered the room with Kurt. "Everyone, this is Blaine Anderson. I hope you all make him fee-". The introduction was cut short by the shout of the word "fag" fallowed by both some laughs, and some boos – both directed at Blaine. Turning to the side, Mercedes saw two jocks high-fiving each other – likely the two who called out the slur – and glared at them angrily. Turning her attention back to the new boy, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him as he tried to slither away from Mr. Shuester's grasp and hide from the rest of his classmates, but only managing to shake a bit in the teacher's hands.

"Jake, you come up and take the seat in front of me." The jock next to Kurt rolled his eyes as he stood up, and mumbled something about 'not having to catch the gay from Hummel, now.' Kurt shot a sharp glare at him, before looking up at the frightened boy still standing at the front of the class. "Blaine, why don't you go ahead and take the seat besides Kurt? I'm sure he'll help you catch up on what you've missed so far." Blaine nodded, and felt as though he couldn't get to the back of the class quick enough. He could hear the rumors about the two already spreading around the classroom, and shot an apologetic smile at Kurt, apologizing for the teases the two were already getting. The countertenor just shrugged with a small smile at her face, trying to wordlessly say that it was no big deal.

"But Mr. Shuester, what if the two fags start having a gay make out session? I don't think any of us want to see that," The jock from earlier called out. He received some words of agreements, but mostly more laughs. Blaine slunk down into his chair, but Kurt just shot a glare that seemed to be aimed at almost everyone in the classroom. After a moment, Kurt turned towards Blaine and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder as his face grew more and more red from embarrassment. Realizing that this was just raising everyone's suspicion of the two, he dropped his hands back down, and continued to glare.

"Tyler. Principle Figgins office. Now." The jock mumbled 'whatever' as he grabbed his bag, slung it over one shoulder, and headed out of the room. However, that went unheard by Kurt, who was now gripping onto the table in an attempt to hold himself together and refrain from exploding in anger. The middle of Spanish class _really_ wasn't a good time for him to go all-out Diva on everyone, even if he had a reason as good as this one.

Taking in a deep breath, he held it in a moment before letting it out in an attempt to calm himself down. Feeling a bit more relaxed now, he backed up his chair so that Blaine and Mercedes were facing each other, seeing as they had both been staring at him to make sure he wouldn't explode or anything.

"Mercedes, this is Blaine, Blaine, this is Mercedes. She's my best girl." Blaine smiled at her, and held out a hand which Mercedes happily took to shake.

"Damn, whiteboy, why do ya always meet everyone fun before me?" she asked Kurt, a joking bit of annoyance in her voice. Kurt shrugged and shrugged with a smug look on his face, causing Blaine to chuckle again. "So, newboy," Mercedes attention was back on him. "What brings ya to boring ol' Lima? I never thought anyone actually _moved_ here, I thought they only moved _outta_ here. Everyone that's here just wants to leave."

Blaine shrugged and her words, biting his lip, and sunk back in his seat to take the notes on the bored. Mercedes looked over at Kurt, who was also taking notes, only leaning forwards on the desk and furiously writing them down as quick as possible. She raised an eyebrow at him – which Kurt saw out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head briefly towards her, he mouthed the words 'we'll talk later' which seemed to be enough for her as the two of them continued to work.

After a few moments of silence, Kurt turned towards Blaine. "Tú hablas español?" The other teen raised an eyebrow for a second before understanding, and shaking his head. "Ah, it's okay. I've taken French up until now, but I've become pretty fluent in that so I decided to try something new. And 'Cedes here dropped Latin for Spanish earlier, so I took up Spanish too." Blaine was shocked. He was _fluent_? Blaine had taken French at his old school, and he hardly knew how to hold up a simple conversation. Not to mention, the stupid accent they had to use just made it harder to understand. But, he was _fluent_ and only in his _junior year_?

Laughing gently at the other boys reaction, the countertenor scribbled down the address of a local coffee shop. Sliding it across the table to the mute boy, he whispered "That's the address to the Lima Bean. Meet me there after school if you can, okay?" Kurt's gentle smile made the other boy melt, and just nod in agreement.

No way would he pass up an offer to see Kurt.


	2. Chapter 2 Coffee

**A/N: **I'm soo sorry that this chapter is so short D: It's also kinda filler, but I really want to grow a character development in this story. I mean, in real life you don't just hop into a relationship or something, and problems aren't magically fixed. Kurt's going to slowly have to draw the information out of Blaine on what happened at his old school. I promise that the next chapter will be more interesting, I just kind of quickly wanted to get this one out seeing as it's been a week since I've updated. And I'm reeeally sorry about that by the way. I just wanted to wrap up my other story, and I'm also currently writing a story that's _not_ a fanfiction, so I've been working on that a bit too. But, I still hope that you enjoy this short little chapter :3

Also, thank you everyone SOO much for all the reviews and fallows! If I remember correctly, I think I got over 40 story alerts from chapter one, along with 15 reviews. That's WAY more than I expected from this story 3 I feel so loved :'D

Anyways, no more rambling, ONTO THE STOREH!

* * *

Kurt looked around the coffee shop, searching for a glimpse of dark brown hair. His head was placed gently in his hand and he mindlessly swirled a stirring stick around in his Medium Drip. Kurt looked at his bangs that were resting in his face, and tried to gently blow some out of his eyes. He'd already had to wash his hair six times from multiple slushie attacks that day, and had eventually given up on styling his hair, and just allowed it to hang limply over the left side of his face… Well, more of it was fix his hair properly, or be late to meet up with Blaine.

Speaking of which, Kurt likely would have had _plenty_ of time to go fix his hair. Classes had ended almost an hour ago now, and he had still yet to see the brown-eyed boy. Moving his drink out of the way, Kurt slammed his head down on the table and sighed. Had he done something wrong to make Blaine stay away…? Or… did those homophobic jocks scare him away from him…

Mercedes. She was still at school, right? Practicing for some solo Mr. Shuester was thinking of giving her? Maybe Blaine had just had to stay after his, and his phone had died so he couldn't text him or something… that would make sense. It had been his first day of school, and it was the middle of the semester. Well, it was decided. He'd call up Mercedes and ask if she'd seem him.

Pulling out his phone, he quickly called her up. And Mercedes being Mercedes, picked up the phone on the first ring.

"Hey white boy! What's goin' on?" Before Kurt could speak, he felt the presence of someone drawing near him. Looking up, he saw exactly who he'd been waiting for. Only… not the way he'd expected to see him.

Blaine's hair was plastered to the sides of his face, red and blue food dye dried onto the sides of his face, and staining his clothes. Kurt smiled sadly at the boy in front of him as he pulled out the chair and sat down.

"Boo?"

"Err, Nevermind Mercedes." He quickly snapped his phone shut, and reached out to place his hand onto the other boys. He only had to say one word.

Reaching out to put his hand on the other boy's, he only had to say one word.

"Slushied?"

A soft groan came from the other boy as he slammed his head on the table, and nodded. Kurt padded the boy's hand, and sighed. He couldn't help but feel that this was all his fault. Everyone knew – or suspected – that Blaine was gay because the two had spent time together. And now, Blaine was suffering. Slowly getting up to his feet, he pulled at Blaine's hand.

"C'mon Blaine, let's go clean you up." Picking his head up, he gave a small smile to say 'thanks', and the two made their way over to the restrooms, Kurt holding onto Blaine's hand just as he had when he led him to Spanish class earlier that day, both with smiles on their faces.

"The stinging in your eyes will stay for a little while at first, but after a little while you get use to it."

* * *

Seeing as the Lima Bean was always a bit empty at these hours, there was no one in the restroom at the time the two boys came in. And lucky for them, there was a stool off to the side that Kurt moved in front of the sink for Blaine to sit on. Leaning his head back into the sink, Blaine allowed Kurt to get straight to work gently coming his fingers through his curls as water gushed onto his head, turning the water a deep purple color.

"You doing okay there?"Kurt's voice was gentle and warm. He smiled at the other boy, even though his eyes were closed. Blaine just looked so… relaxed and at peace with the world. It was nice to see him like that, and just caused his smile to grow in size.

Blaine nodded a bit, not wanting to move too much. He _felt_ as relaxed as he looked. Kurt's fingers continued to gently brush though his hair, even though it was pretty much clean now. Letting out a light sigh, Blaine smiled and leaned his head back a little more, allowing the water to wash off some of the coloring that was on his forehead.

The smile on his face only brightened Kurt's spirits. And despite having to hold up a one-sided conversation for the most part, he didn't feel akward at all. In fact, he _enjoyed_ spending time with Blaine like this. Sure, it would be better if the other boy talked, but he wasn't going to blame him for not talking.

As Kurt continued to come out Blaine's hair, he told him stories of New Directions. Those were pretty much the only _good_ memories Kurt _had_ of high school. Glee Club was always his favorite part of the day, and everyone in it was like his family. They sure as hell fought like one at times. Just by hearing a few of the crazy things that went on in the group, Blaine could already tell how close everyone there was. The thought made him smile.

"-Then there was this one week that I had managed to convince Mr. Shuester to let us do Brittany Spears in front of the _entire_ school for this assembly Principle Figgins wanted us to perform at. It was really fun, and we did _fabulous_… that is, of course, until we started what Sue – that's the cheerleading coach – likes to call a 'Brittany Spears sex riot', and the fire alarm was pulled…" Kurt snickered. "And we have yet to convince Mr. Shuester to let us perform Brittany Spears again."

Blaine began to chuckle as Kurt finished up his story telling. It was a raspy laugh, as the others had been earlier in the day, but it still made Kurt's face light up. He couldn't help but wonder what the boy's voice sounded like… It was odd. He felt so close to a boy he had just met, and hardly knew anything about. But… even though it was odd, he still enjoyed the way he felt around Blaine.

Blaine blinked his eyes open as Kurt turned off the water again, and immediately closed them again. The stinging was most definitely still there. Noticing the other boy's reaction, Kurt quickly dabbed a paper towel over his eyes, trying to get away anything that he could.

After a moment, he pulled the paper towel away. "Okay, time to dry off. Just… stand up and shake your head a bit, I suppose." And Blaine did just that. Standing up only a foot away from Kurt, he shook his head quickly just like a dog, spraying water around the room – his hair is thick enough to hold a _lot_ of water. Kurt let out a squeal, and quickly threw his hands in front of him in defense, not that it did much help.

Laughing, Kurt took a paper towel and began to dab at his now wet clothing, before looking up at Blaine. Taking a step or two so that he was directly in front of him, he took a paper towel and dabbed it gently on the shorter boy's forehead, wiping away the water that threatened to drip into his eyes.

Blaine just smiled, standing where he was, and looked into Kurt's eyes. Not that Kurt noticed, he was too busy looking at Blaine's drenched clothing. The water had dripped from the sink onto his neck in the short time he was standing, not to mention all the marks from the slushies he'd received. However, when he looked up, he saw the other boy looking into his eyes and the two simultaneously looked away from each other.

Now… now the silence was akward.

"Erm… I think I've got one more spare outfit left out in my car, it you maybe want to change into that. I'm not sure it'll fit you since I'm a bit taller. Not to say that you're short or anything! Well, it's just, um… it's kinda cold, and I wouldn't want you getting sick or anything becau-" Blaine gently held up a hand to silence the other boy, and Kurt immediately snapped his mouth shut and blushed gently, ending his ramble.

Nodding, Blaine grabbed onto Kurt's hand, and the two walked out together, heading for the direction of the parking lot.

Well, this was a pretty good end to a not-so-good day.

* * *

**A/N: **On a side note, I'm currently suffering from New-Glee-Episode-Deprivation. Just thought you should know.


	3. Chapter 3 Family Dinner

**A/N:** I'm reeeally sorry this took so long to update... I'm working on Chapter 4 right now though, promise~ I could lay out a list of excuses, but there's really no point in that... but, I am gonna say that I would have had this up earlier had my computer not exploded on me... and plus, I kinda fell asleep. But, still, I got it up!

Anyways, this is kinda just a filler chapter... not much really going on. And sorry for the beginning, my mind kinda went off on it's own and I went all 'I wanna show how awesome and accepting Burt is' blah blah blah. Honestly, I don't really talk to my parents about my sexuality or anything, or the people I like, so I don't know how other people would o3o Just kinda guessed, really. But I like Burt. Even though he's not really in it too much, he's an epic glee character~ Anyways, here you go, and I'll try and have chapter 4 up later this week!

* * *

"Hey Kurt. How was your day?" Burt looked at his son, an odd expression on his face. Not only was the countertenor late in arriving home from school, but his hair that was normally covered in what his father believed to be around two cans of hairspray hung loosely on his head, falling wherever gravity wanted it to. And if all of that wasn't weird enough, the clothing that Kurt usually fussed over was covered in faded drops of what seemed to be water. But, despite everything that was so unusual about Kurt at that moment, there was a huge smile plastered onto his face.

"Absolutely fantastic." Kurt's voice was quiet, and he seemed to be off in a dreamy haze. He dropped his bag on the floor(another odd thing, Burt noticed), and didn't even bother picking up his jacket after it fell to the floor when he tried hanging it up on the hook. He took his seat on the chair beside the couch his father was on, and let out a content sigh, leaning back and feeling at peace.

Burt raised an eyebrow at his only son. "What? Your glee club lettin' ya do a solo at sectionals or somethin'" Kurt just shook his head.

"No… it has nothing to do with New Directions… it's something better."

Burt prayed deeply that he would be wrong. He didn't feel comfortable talking to Kurt about this, but he had to. Here he goes… "Uh… Kurt? Do you and I.. need to have, you know… have the Talk?" That just caused a small chuckle to come out from Kurt's mouth, and another shake of his head.

"No… at least, not yet." Burt could sense the hope in his son's voice, and became immediately interested. So it _did_ have to do with a boy. He always knew he'd end up having this conversation… he just… well, he always thought it would be about a _girl_, even though it had always been pretty obvious of what Kurt's sexuality was.

"So, who's the boy?"

Kurt's face immediately reddened. "…His name's Blaine. H-he just moved here." He stuttered shyly, feeling very uncomfortable about talking about this with his father. Sure, they were close, but this just felt odd. He looked down at his hands as he played with his thumbs.

Burt forced himself to relax a bit, not wanting to freak his son out or anything like that. "And is he… you know, gay?" Kurt just bit his lip as he looked up at his father and nodded his head.

"Um… well… I'd better get to meet this kid soon, okay Kurt?" Face still red, Kurt nodded once again. He stood up and hugged his dad, wrapping his arms around the older man's neck. He pulled back and smiled at his father.

"Thank you, dad. It really means a lot to me… I mean, I know a lot of parents don't accept their kids when they're… well, different. And I know it's hard for you, but I really am grateful." A small tear rolled down Kurt's face, and his father frowned.

"Hey, hey. There's no reason to _not_ accept you, Kurt. I mean, you're gay. Nothin's wrong with that, 'cause you're a great kid when you're just bein' you." Kurt's smile widened, and he threw himself at his dad again. Burt sighed, and smiled down at his son as he stood back up and gently wiped his eyes.

"How about you an' me go out to Breadsticks tonight? I could call Carol and Finn and ask 'em to go meet us there too, if ya want." Kurt smiled at his dad, muttering a quite 'sure', and then ran down to his room, most likely to change out of his clothes into something drier.

Burt watched his son go downstairs with a small smile, then walked over to the phone to call his girlfriend and her son.

* * *

"Hey, Kurt." Looking up from the salad he was picking at, he smiled at Finn. "What's the deal with that Blaine kid you were hanging out with today? Is he seriously mute?"

And… there goes Kurt's good mood.

With a sigh, Kurt opened his mouth to explain that Blaine had very good reasons not to speak… then shut it again. He really didn't know _why_ Blaine never spoke. The conversation was never brought up.

Burt and Carole both looked at Kurt, waiting for an answer. Finally, the countertenor spoke up.

"Yes, Finn, he is mute. Something happened to him at his old school around five months ago, and he hasn't spoken since. And before you ask, no, I don't know what happened, but all I know is it was bad enough to make him not feel the need to let his voice be heard anymore."

Kurt continued to pick at his salad while everyone else just stared at him, confusion in their eyes. What he said was true, he didn't know any more than what he had said… but he wanted to. Sighing, he lifted a piece of lettuce up to his mouth, thinking as he chewed. He had to get Blaine to open up to him, tell him what had happened at his old school.

But how?

* * *

The second Kurt had gotten home, he ran down to his room where he had left his phone on his bed in order to charge. Picking it up, he quickly scrolled threw his contacts until he found the name he was looking for.

_Blaine Anderson._

Smiling at his name, he quickly sent him a text.

'_Do you think you'd be able to stay late after school tomorrow? – K'_

He put the iPhone back down on his bed, and sighed. He hadn't started his homework yet, but he really didn't have much anyways. McKinley was actually pretty easy for Kurt. He kept up high grades while using little to no effort at all. So, he could easily save the homework for later, or do it in his first class if he needed to. So, all that left for requirements was to take a shower, get ready for bed(which included about an hour of putting creams and such on his face), and think of a song for his Glee assignment for this week.

After only a few moments of sitting in his bed, trying to brainstorm some songs, his phone began to sing _"Defying Gravity"_. He reached over to grab his phone, and smiled at Blaine's name.

'_Ya, sure, y? –B'_

'_I want to show you something, but it's a surprise. I think you'll like it though. –K'_

'_OK, c u tomorrow? –B'_

'_See you! –K'_

And yes, he _did_ think Blaine would like it. Smiling, he put his phone down on his bed and went into the bathroom to get ready for his shower. Tomorrow he'd take Blaine to the after school glee club rehearsal, and then out to coffee again. There he would try to talk to Blaine about what happened… or try and get him to speak. Either would work for him.

And he refused to let this plan fail. Blaine _would_ open up to him… somehow.

* * *

**A/N:** Mm, I felt like making Blaine use chatspeak... but I don't know much chatspeak, so I kinda just used the simple stuff. Annnnyways, I hope you all enjoyed my crappy fillerness... next chapter we'll learn a _little_ about Blaine. Not too much... I mean, would you go spilling your guts out to some dude you jut met? Plus, he doesn't talk, so he kinda has to... write it. Or maybe he _will_ talk. Who knows? I sure as hell don't *shot*


	4. Chapter 4 Glee Club Proposition

**A/N:** So, I would've had this out earlier, but I've been having this seriously bad sleeping problem. I'm exhausted all the time, sleeping around 14-18 hours a day, and I still have school, so... that's a lot of sleep and the rest of the time I'm working o3o But It's Friday, so I pretty much wrote all of this today except for the first few paragraphs(and I really do mean **few**). But, I hope it's okay even though it's written by an always-half-asleep-half-brain-dead-exhausted-teen xDD

Anyways, I just want to say THANK YOU SOO MUCH to my reviewers and everyone who's added the story to their story alerts! It really means a lot to me, especially because I really enjoy just thank you everyone!

* * *

Blaine frowned, looking up at the clock. Forty five more minutes left in the day. He sighed, and let his head fall to his desk. He was in history, and had learned all about Charlemagne at his old school. So, this was pretty much a review… a very _boring_ review.

Not to mention, it was forty five minutes until he found out were Kurt was bringing him. Well, forty four now, but that difference does that make? To Blaine, a lot, because that was one minute closer to seeing Kurt. One minute closer to feeling like he had a security blanket around him again. One minute closer to being around someone who liked him for him, and didn't judge him for being gay _or _for being mute. One minute closer to just… feeling like he could be himself.

He didn't know why he felt that way around the other boy, but he just… did. It's not like Kurt was an all powerful God who could magically destroy anyone who came to attack him, not at all. In fact, they'd likely _both_ wind up getting hurt. The idea made Blaine wince a bit as he lifted his head back up to watch the clock.

Thirty more minutes.

He could do this… he could do this…

Looking back down at his math paper, he saw that he'd hardly done any work. Biting his lower lip, he set back to working as quickly as he could. Who knew what his father would do if he would up failing out of _public_ school? All he knew was, it wouldn't be pretty.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The noise seemed to be the only thing filling the room as he worked, and yet Blaine's mind couldn't focus on his work. He just wanted the class to end, he wanted to go find Kurt. This was one of the few classes he didn't share with the boy, and thus even though math was one of his _best_ subjects, he now hated it.

Giving up on the worksheet they'd been assigned for class, Blaine pulled out his notebook and finished writing down the last of the notes before sneaking out his phone under the desk to send a quick text.

_'Meet me by music rm in 5 minutes if u can. –B'_

Blaine raised his hand and waited patiently for the teacher to come over. When she did, he merely pointed at the door in order to ask for permission to leave. Smiling gently at him, she nodded, and he grabbed his things swiftly and headed out the door.

For some reason, the teachers seemed to let him get away with ditching classes. Whether it was because he was knew, or they felt sorry for him, he didn't know. And it's not like he took advantage of it… usually. Just times like now when he felt like he needed to get away from it all.

* * *

A smile stretched onto Blaine's face when he got to the music room, and saw that it was empty. No more classes in there. And only ten minutes until school ended. Leaning against the wall, he dropped his bag down next to him and slid to the floor.

Not long after, Kurt came running around the corner breathing heavily.

"Blaine! Oh God, Blaine, are you okay? I got your text, did anything happen?" Blaine couldn't help but chuckle at the boy who was now struggling to catch his breath. He pulled out his phone and shot him a text.

' _I'm fine. Just wanted 2 get out of class, u knw? –B'_

Only a few seconds after he sent the text, he saw Kurt pull out his iPhone, and shoot a playful glare in his direction.

"You know, you really had me worried there. I thought maybe Karofsky or one of the other jocks had gotten you or something like that," Kurt let out a soft chuckle that made Blaine smile. "Why didn't you tell me you just wanted to get out of class?" Blaine just shrugged over dramatically, causing the other to laugh.

Holding a hand out to the other boy, Kurt helped Blaine stand up. "So… what is it that you wanted me to come here for? Or did you just want a partner in crime while you ditched class?" Kurt gently elbowed Blaine in the side as the two leaned against the wall. Blaine grinned, and motioned to the music room door that was slightly open.

The two juniors pushed the door the rest of the way open, Blaine going in first and immediately heading over to a few of the guitars sitting on their stands. He held a questioning gaze at them for a moment before reaching out to grab an acoustic, putting the strap on and making his way back over to Kurt.

Raising an eyebrow, Kurt made a small motion to the guitar. "Oh what, are you going to tell me you play?" Smirking, Blaine gave a small shrug and held his fingers out as if to say 'just a bit'. Kurt laughed, and nodded. "You going to play me something then?" Blaine grinned again.

Motioning for Kurt to sit down, he looked down at the guitar and slowly started strumming a calming tune. Immediately Kurt knew what song it was, and grinned. Of course Blaine would choose a Top 40's song… seemed to suite him well enough.

Kurt being Kurt began to sing the first few lines of the song.

"_You think I'm pretty_

_Without any make-up on_

_You think I'm funny_

_When I tell the punch line wrong_

_I know you get me_

_So I'll let my walls come down, down"_

Blaine looked with Kurt in awe as he continued to strum the basic tune of 'Teenage dream'. He knew Kurt could sing, after all they'd spent plenty of time talking(well, Kurt talking, Blaine listening) about the Glee Club. But… he didn't know Kurt could sing… like _that_.

It made him begin to miss back when he use to be in _his_ school choir, even if it'd only been for around a month or so before he'd come out as gay and forced to leave by his fellow members. And forced to leave was putting it nicely.

Shaking that thought from his head, he smiled up at Kurt again. That was the past. For now, he was here, and he had Kurt. Why not savor it?

"_Before you met me_

_I was a wreck_

_But things were kinda heavy_

_You brought me to life_

_Now every February_

_You'll be my valentine, valentine"_

Kurt made a heart with his fingers at the last word, and Blaine could feel himself blush a bit and immediately looked down at the guitar in an attempt to both hide his face and not mess up on the notes. He didn't want to screw up now, not when he was playing(totally not trying to impress or anything) for Kurt.

"_Let's go all the way tonight_

_No regrets, just love_

_We can dance until we die_

_You and I_

_We'll be young forever"_

Blaine was quite frankly amazed with the countertenors voice range. Sure, his higher voice wasn't quite so well suited for the song, but it still sounded _amazing_. He looked up at Kurt once again as he held out the last note, and the two smiled at each other before Kurt continued to sing.

"_You make me_

_Feel like_

_I'm living a Teenage Dream_

_The way you turn me on_

_I can't sleep_

_Let's runaway_

_And don't ever look back_

_Don't ever look back"_

By now, Kurt had begun to dance in his seat a bit, and Blaine had unknowingly taken a few steps towards the countertenor. Both had smiles plastered onto their faces as one sang his heart out, and the other put as much emotion into playing as he could. Neither knew how much this song meant to each other, or even to themselves. They just knew that this was the most fun they'd had in ages.

The two continued staring at each other and swaying a bit as they continued the song. Finally, Blaine stopped playing and let Kurt sing the last verse a capella.

"_My heart stops_

_When you look at me_

_Just one touch_

_Now baby I believe_

_This is real_

_So take a chance_

_And don't ever look back_

_Don't ever look back."_

Blaine clapped his hands together, the guitar hanging behind his back. Kurt just laughed, and shook his head.

"No, no, no, that was _your_ performance. I just couldn't help myself but join in," he chuckled lightly. "You're really good at that, you know." Blaine just shrugged, a small smile on his lips. "Which makes where we're going next even _more_ fun." Kurt clapped his hands together, and Blaine raised an eyebrow, causing Kurt to chuckle again. "Oh c'mon, just come with me."

* * *

"Mr. Shuester, I hope you don't mind that I brought someone along to Glee Club today." Kurt pulled Blaine into the room, ignoring his struggles to escape. Ya, sure, he wanted to hang out with Kurt… but _not_ in the school. Why the hell were they staying here _late_?

"Of course Kurt, you guys can go have a seat." Mr. Shuester had a warm smile on his face directed at Blaine, which just made the boy want to hide more. He hated the attention, hated it… it always just led to disaster whenever he got it.

He sped across the room, taking a seat in the back. Only two people had arrived so far, both girls, both looking at him oddly. He slunk down in his chair, jumping a bit when someone sat down beside him. Looking up, he saw it was Kurt giving him a warm smile which he did his best to return.

Turning to the girls, he said, "Tina, Rachel, this is Blaine. Blaine, this is Tina-" he made a hand gustier to an Asian girl with long, black hair and blue extensions wearing gothic clothing "and this is Rachel," she had long, brown hair and was wearing what looked like a sweater with a… carousel on it. He waved at them quickly before looking back down at the floor and biting his lip. Why did Kurt have to bring him here?

Slowly, the room began to flood with more and more people, all of them shooting questioning glances at Blaine when he walked in, but no one saying anything about it. Well, not until now.

"Hey, who's the hobbit?" Blaine looked up(he'd been called that plenty of times at his old school, and was use to responding to it) to see a dark-ish skinned boy with a Mohawk and what seemed to be a strong build. He swallowed, knowing he'd stand absolutely _no_ chance in a fight against him, and he prayed that the other wouldn't try to pick one.

"He's not a hobbit, Puck, and his name is Blaine," Kurt spoke somewhat sharply, but seemed as though he was use to the boy's form of disrespect. Puck just shrugged, and took his seat beside the tall boy sitting beside Rachel. Everyone seemed to be in some form of discussion now, and everyone had arrived. After letting everyone have a few minutes to speak, Mr. Shuester rose to his feet.

"So, anyone have anything to sing today?" Turning to Blaine, he added, "each week we have a theme for everyone to choose a song to sing to. This week, I decided to let everyone have a free-for-all, and just sing whatever song they have on their minds. Preferably something more emotional that relates to them, but-" he gave a small shrug "anything'll pass for this week."

With that, Kurt's hand shot up in the air. "Can I go, Mr. Shue?" The teacher just smiled at the countertenor and nodded, causing a small, joyful squeak to emit from Kurt's mouth as he rushed around to the front of the room. Turning to the band on the side, he nodded his head and took his place 'center stage'.

The music was soft, and gentle, and something Blaine immediately recognized. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face as Kurt began to sing.

"_I've heard it said_

_That people come into our lives for a reason_

_Bringing something we must learn_

_And we are led_

_To those who help us most to grow_

_If we let them_

_And we help them in return_

_Well, I don't know if I believe that's true_

_But I know I'm who I am today_

_Because I knew you..."_

Kurt briefly glimpses up in Blaine's direction, causing Blaine's smile to grow a bit. He nods his head encouragingly, and listens closely. He's seen wicked so many times, and so of course he's heard the song millions of times. But even though the duet had been turned into a solo, it still seemed to sound even more amazing to him than any performance a Broadway performer could give him – unless, of course, that Broadway performer was Kurt.

"_Like a comet pulled from orbit_

_As it passes a sun_

_Like a stream that meets a boulder_

_Halfway through the wood_

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_

_But because I knew you_

_I have been changed for good"_

Looking out at the audience, Kurt smiles. Every single person here had changed him, and he knew it. But he couldn't help but think that the person who had yet to make the most affect in his life had only just arrived here. He stole another glance at Blaine, who was happily listening with a grin on his face, which just encouraged Kurt to go on more.

Everyone could tell that Kurt was singing with full-out emotion, the single tear that escaped his eye as he sung giving that fact away anymore. Slowly, the song began to draw to a close with Kurt just standing there with nice posture, hands clasped in front of him, facing forward at all of his friends. And, out of the corner of his eye, he continued to watch Blaine, who had not taken his eyes off of the countertenor for one moment during his performance. He'd been mesmerized by the boy, and he knew it.

"_And because I knew you..._

_Because I knew you..._

_Because I knew you..._

_I have been changed for good..."_

Applause filled the room, and Kurt whipped away a few tears that fell from his eyes as he thanked his friends. A few of the girls ran up to hug him, and he smiled at all of them before heading back up to Blaine.

Blaine threw his arms around the other boy in a friendly-hug sort of way as his way of saying 'Good job'. Kurt returned the hug before speaking.

"Well, I'm glad you liked it then. I was wondering if maybe… you wanted to join Glee Club? I mean, I know you likely won't sing or anything, but… Mike doesn't sing either, he just dances, and it's just a really great place…" he gave the boy a small yet happy smile, "and all my friends are here – all but you. Just think about it, okay?"

And think about it is just what Blaine would do.

* * *

**A/N:** So, thar we go, got chapter 4 done. I hope it's okay! And just so you all know, I love constructive criticism, so fire away~ I'd rather know what I'm doing wrong so I can fix it, then just have people not point it out to me.

Thanks again, everyone~


	5. Chapter 5 Avoidance

**A/N: **I would have updated this tonight, but I need to give my dad my laptop so he can fix it, and I have to use his, and I don't know when I'll get mine back... and I'm _kinda_ too lazy to email over the document, so... ya. Not to mention, I have to go and work on my history project now. If I fail, I shall blame the fact that so many of you told me to update. It's all yoru fault, you evil people!

We need some action. I relized... the story was too happy. Don't know _how_ that happened, seeing as I normally torture characters, but ehh. So, here we go~ Read the AN at the bottom too~

* * *

Parking his car in the parking lot, Blaine sighed and slowly opened his door. He'd learned it best to arrive a bit early for school so as to avoid the jocks and the dumpster tosses – a tip he'd received from Kurt. He grabbed his bag and slipped it over his shoulder, making his way into the almost empty hallways of McKinley high, and headed towards his locker.

Without even bothering to open it, he just rested his head against the cool metal and let out a sigh. As much as he wanted to join Glee Club and spend more time with Kurt… he wasn't sure if he could. What if it all ended up like last time? It's not like this school was all that tolerant against gay kids, no more than his old school anyways, and Glee Club would just get him more attention – something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

Just as he picked his head up and began to open his locker, he felt a hand on his back and the cold metal making contact with his head again. Only this time, it wasn't the cool feeling it was before, it was a hard 'bang' that sent pain over his whole head almost immediately giving him a headache. Slipping a bit, he struggled to catch his footing before he fell, but was fiercely grabbed by the shoulders, spun around, and his back slammed against the locker.

In front of him stood three jocks, all wearing their letterman jackets and glaring harshly at him. He only knew one of their names – Karofsky. Kurt had told him to watch out for him. And now here he was, holding Blaine up against his lockers as he did nothing to fight him off. He felt himself shaking a bit, and bit his lower lip in an attempt to calm himself down. Karofsky tightened his grip on the frightened boy's shoulders, and moved his face so that it was right in front of the others.

"Now you listen here, homo," his voice was quiet, but very threatening. Blaine could have sworn he heard a growl emit from the others mouth, which only made him stay frozen in fear. "I saw you with that little fag club yesterday. I'm gonna tell you this once, and only once, so you'd better as hell listen." Blaine said nothing, and didn't dare to move. "Join your little Glee Club, and I will make your life a living hell. Go near lady face again, and I will make you _wish_ you were in hell. Got it?" Blaine nodded, and was shoved forcefully back into his locker. "Good."

With that, him and the other jocks turned and left, leaving Blaine alone as he slid down against the lockers, shaking.

What the hell was he suppose to do?

* * *

It was Monday now, five days since Kurt had taken Blaine to Glee Club, and he hadn't managed to talk to the shy boy once. Every time Kurt saw him in the hallway, Blaine would just wave and quickly head in the other direction. In class, Blaine would just bury himself into his work and ignore any and all of Kurt's attempts at grabbing the boy's attention.

That just left Kurt wondering what he had done wrong. Had he said something? Was it a mistake to take him to Glee Club? Or maybe it was the song?

Kurt shook his head. No, no Blaine had seemed honestly happy when the two walked out of the room together. It wasn't until the next morning that Blaine had begun avoiding him.

Sighing, Kurt took his seat next to Mercedes in the cafeteria, and looked across to were Blaine was sitting alone. He wanted desperately to go over and sit with the clearly upset boy, but last time he'd tried that, Blaine's eyes looked up at him with something like… something like _fear_ before he abandoned his tray of food and ran down the hallway. No, going over to Blaine would _not_ be a good idea, he never wanted to see that look in his eyes again.

Noticing her best friend's obvious distress, Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "Yo, white boy, what's wrong with you?" Kurt looked over at her as she continued. "You've been out of it since the end of last week, hell, you didn't even help me keep Rachel away from those stupid sweaters she always lieks to buy when we were at the mall Saturday. Don't even _dare_ to tell me nothing's up, because I know there is."

Kurt sighed. Oh, Mercedes knew him all too well. "It's just… well," Kurt let out a small, sad chuckle, "I know I've only known him for a week, but Blaine's been avoiding me… and I have no idea what I did, all I know is it's tearing me apart not being able to talk to him." Kurt held back a few tears that threatened to fall from his eyes, and began poking around at his salad, not in the mood to eat it.

Mercedes said nothing, but just smiled sadly at the boy in front of her and placed a hand over his. After a few moments, she finally spoke. "Hey, he doesn't know what he's missin' out on, but he'll come to his senses soon. Otherwise, he's not worth your time if he can't see how great over a person you are underneath all that fabulous sass." That got a smile out of Kurt as he put his other hand on the one that covered his, and squeezed it lightly.

"Thanks 'Cedes. You always know just what to say." The two stood up and through their trash away as they grabbed their bags and continued talking as they made their way down the hallway to where both of their lockers awaited them.

"No problem, just lemme know if you need me to talk some sense into that kid, okay?" Mercedes voice was lighthearted and she had a comforting smile on her face. Kurt couldn't help but smile back, and link their arms together.

"Of course, Mercedes, but I think I'll be just fine."

* * *

Avoiding Kurt had been surprisingly easy. It just required rushing straight from class to class, and making sure he sat in the front of the classroom(Kurt always sat in the back) in the classes he shared with Kurt. He would arrive at school as late as possible without actually_ being_ late, and leave as soon as the bell rang. It killed Blaine not to reply to the texts that Kurt send him, but over the past few weeks the amount of texts he received from him died down, and he hadn't received a single one from the boy so far.

It had been two months now since his run in with Karofsky. He'd heard about Kurt's father having a heart attack, and wanted nothing more to comfort the boy. He felt horrible for avoiding him, and wanted to punch himself in the face for doing it, especially when he so obviously needed someone right now. But he couldn't, for fear that Karosky or just… _anyone_ would see him.

He just didn't want this school to end up like his last one, were he was forced to fear every day of his life. But, his life had felt so empty these past two months. He woke up, came to school, went home, did his work and over studied, then slept. He had no friends to hang out with seeing as no one wanted to talk to the 'queer', or the 'mute' for that matter.

He was alone, completely alone, and he had no one to blame for that but himself. He'd turned away the only group that would possibly accept him, the only group of people that didn't seem to give him weird looks when he walked by in the hallway. Sighing, he buried his head into his pillow and stayed like that for a few minutes before whipping out his phone.

Karofsky or not, he knew what he had to do.

* * *

Kurt looked at his phone wide-eyed, not sure whether or not his eyes deceived him. He ignored the look the nurse gave him as he stopped listening to her updates on his father's condition. He blinked his eyes a few times, and smiled up at her giving her a brief apology and letting her continue.

When she was done pretty much just saying that nothing had changed, he looked back down at his phone. Sure enough, the message was still there, and it still said it was from the same person. If this was a dream, it was a pretty sucky one seeing as his dad was still in a coma. But he couldn't help but smile at the text message.

'_Hey Kurt. Sorry I've been avoiding u, could we talk after school tomorrow? Lima Bean? –B'_

His fingers hastily typed out his reply that yes, of course he would be there, and that coffee was on him. It surprised him how a simple text message from a boy he hardly knew could make him smile when he'd spent the past few days doing nothing but crying by his dad's bedside.

But it did, and he guessed that was all that mattered.

* * *

School had gone by incredibly slow that day. Blaine was both worried about the Lima Bean after school, and excited. What if someone else from McKinley was there? What if Kurt didn't show up? Shaking his head, Blaine did his best not to think about what was going to happen. It was last period, and he only had a few more minutes until the bell rang. Class had already pretty much wrapped up, and now consisted of boy's throwing paper at one another, and girls idly gossiping about anything they could.

Despite what he had told Kurt, he continued to avoid the countertenor during the day. He had to explain everything to him first, let him know _why_ he'd been avoiding him. He wouldn't allow the countertenor to claim that he forgave him until he did.

Already having packed his bag up, Blaine had nothing to do but mindlessly tap his fingers on his desk as he waited for them to be released. Watching the clock, his eyes fallowed the second hand as it seemed to move slower and slower as time passed by. He could have sworn it said they had two minutes left at least ten minutes ago, but it claimed to have only been one and a half minutes.

That meant just half a minute until he could jump into his car and head down to get coffee… and meet up with Kurt.

The bell rang, and Blaine grabbed his bag, running out the door.

* * *

Kurt quickly shut the car door to his Navigator, and entered the Lima Bean with a smile on his face. He immediately caught site of Blaine, who had managed to arrive only a few minutes before him. He waved at him as he walked over, and the two got in line to get their coffee's, were Kurt insisted on paying.

They sat down at their seats, and Blaine pulled out a notepad from his backpack and hastily began to write a message down for him to see, not even touching his drink. After a few minutes of writing, he was done.

_'Kurt, I'm really sorry I've been avoiding you. I didn't want to, honestly, but I was just scared. The day after you showed me New Directions, I had every intention of wanting to join you guys, but… I couldn't. That Karofsky guy told me that if I went anywhere near you or New Directions, he'd make my life a living hell, and I just couldn't stand the thought of having to relive what happened at my old school here. I didn't want to run, I wanted to have courage, but I was just… scared. But I don't care anymore. If you'd let me, I'd really like to be your friend again.'_

Kurt didn't know whether to smile or frown as he read the note, and settled on looking up shocked at the boy. Sure, he knew that Karofsky was terrible, but… he never imagined him going so harshly after Blaine. In fact, he thought that Blaine would get off lighter than he did.

Clearly, he was wrong.

Smiling gently, the countertenor reached across and placed a hand over Blaine's as the mute looked down at his hands. He looked up when their hands made contact, and smiled at Kurt.

"Of course I'll still be your friend, Blaine. I can't say I blame you for what happened… I know what it's like to feel like it's easier to run. But just know that I'm here for you, okay? And I bet you I can get the whole of New Directions to back me up too," he gave his hand a light squeeze before continuing, "especially if you'd still like to join us."

Blaine's face lit up at that, and he gave a single eager nod.

Kurt was too focused on chatting about everything that had gone on in the past two months to even notice the group of football players enter the shop. Blaine, however, noticed their red jackets immediately, and his eyes lit up with fear. _That_ let Kurt know something was wrong. He spun around in his chair, just in time to see a hang reach over and grab the collar of his shirt.

"What, it isn't bad enough that you make us have to see your little faggy face at school, but now we've gotta see it here too?" Karofsky sneered. Blaine's eyes lit up with fear as he cowered in his chair. He had to do something, he had to.

It was hoarse, and quiet, but he managed to mask his fear and streak strong and confidently.

"Leave him alone!"

* * *

**A/N:** IT SPEAKS! Anyways, sorry it's soo time-skippy. I just didn't know what else to add. And also, I want to thank all the little mistakes you guys found in the last chapter. I'm going to edit it later, but for right now, I have to go work on my project, like I said. But thanks a ton to all you reviewers!

And I honestly have no idea where I'm going from here. I didn't even know this chapter would _happen_, but I just wanted it to. So it was all made up as I went along. I hope it's okay!


	6. Chapter 6 The Truth Comes Out

**A/N: **So, important chapter is important. Thus, it's long. 4,222 words to be exact. Not long to some people, but to someone like me who normally gives up on a story before they reach six chapters, it's long... ya, no matter how much I like a story, I usually grow bored of it by now. I thank all my reviewers and people adding the story to their alerts to the reason why I'm still able to scrape up some chapters!

But, anyways, this chapter - as the title implies - will unravel a few secrets. Not really secrets, but things unsaid... and ya. But no, this is nowhere near the end. Hellz no, BLAINE HASN'T EVEN SERENADED KURT YET, HOW COULD IT BE OVER? It's only the beginning.

And you can blame Tori for this taking so long! I'm still working on her freakin' birthday story. I work on this one when I have free time at home, and hers at school. I think I have more free time in school, seeing as I sleep a lot, but ya. Enjoy!

* * *

Kurt spun his head around in shock, forgetting about Karofsky's grip on his collar or the fact that he was likely about to get beat up in a large coffee shop and no one seemed to care. All that he noticed right now was Blaine, and the fact that he had just heard the shorter boy's voice for the first time. The fact that his voice sounded so perfect, so wonderful, even though it was cracking and dry due to lack of use.

"Bl-Blaine?" Blaine had moved from his chair to stand beside Kurt, and was glaring harshly at Karofsky, who clearly looked confused. Without thinking twice, Blaine aimed a blow at Karofsky's jaw, only to have the jock drop Kurt from his reach just in time to grab the smaller boy's fist. Kurt watched in horror as Blaine winced in pain as the muscular football player squeezed at his hand with brute force. He couldn't help but think that this was his fault, that if Blaine hadn't defended him, then he wouldn't be in this situation…

But he couldn't do anything.

Fear held him in place, and the only thing he could feel moving was his quivering lip. He couldn't speak, hell, his body wouldn't even allow him to _blink_. He couldn't move, and could do nothing but watch Blaine wincing in pain. He didn't even glance over at the smirking Karofsky; his gaze didn't once move from Blaine. He didn't even move at the insults Karofsky seemed to be shooting at the two.

"It isn't enough that I have to see your faggy faces at school? Now I've gotta see 'em every fucking time I go out, huh?"

"Why you homos gotta come and ruin everythin'?"

"Can't believe they even _let_ you little faggots into a public place together!"

And one more was whispered(and also spat) into Blaine's face so that Kurt couldn't hear it:

"I told you to stay away from you, you little bastard. Well, now you're gonna pay for not listenin' to me. You're gonna wish you'd never been born, just like everyone else wished you hadn't been."

And what surprised him most was that the near-empty coffee shop did nothing. The few patrons there just continued to drink their coffee, or eat their pastries, or whatever it is they were doing. No one even looked twice at them. No one cared if a gay kid or two got beat up, why would they? They were just 'queers', 'fags'.

Those thoughts mixed with Karofsky's words just made Kurt's anger grow, until his entire body was shaking with anger. Finally moving, he clenched his hands into fists and moved over to Karofsky, yelling as he shoved him away.

"WHAT is your PROBLEM?"

Before Karofsky even got to reply, the doors to the shop opened and Finn, Puck and Rachel came into the shop, running over to the three boys. Rachel's face looked panic, Finn's seemed both protective and mad, while Puck just looked out right _furious_.

"Kurt! Blaine!" The three newcomers stepped between the two horrified teens and their attacker. Rachel - having just called out their names - moved backwards, pulling a stunned Blaine and Kurt with her.

If the two hadn't been so fazed, they likely would have noticed the manager come out and order the group to leave, and likely wouldn't have been needed to be carried out by the two football players while Rachel went ahead to start her car for the group and Karofsky fled the scene. Finn had managed to throw one of Kurt's arm around his shoulder, placing his own arm around the shorter boy's waist, and for the most part drag out the panic-stricken teen. He was just staring ahead, eyes partially glazed over, just staring off into the distance.

Blaine, on the other hand, was a different story. Before Puck had picked him up, he had been shaking so badly that he could hardly stand. Rachel had managed to convince the taller boy to hold him bridal-style, but it felt to Puck more like he was holding a frightened three year old in his arms. The shaky boy was clutching onto Puck's shirt like it was a lifeline, his eyes wide and filled with panic. His teeth were visibly chattering, and he was scrunched up as close to Puck as he could be as the latter trudged over to Rachel's car, not daring to look at the terrified boy in his arms, or Kurt for that matter. His face remained solemn.

Reaching the car, Finn slipped Kurt into the back seat, where he merely dragged his feet up onto Rachel's leather seats, wrapped his arms around his legs, and rested his chin on his knees while taking a few deep breaths. Turning around from her spot in the driver seat, Rachel looked at her 'friend' with a worried expression.

"Kurt? Are you okay?" Without waiting for a response, she carefully placed a hand on his knee, pulling it back swiftly at the boy's flinch. The touch must have done something though, because after a minute he dropped his legs and forced a small smile onto his face, a sigh of relief emitting from the girl sitting in front of him.

Finn and Puck were on the other side of the vehicle, trying to slip Blaine inside in a way that would be comfortable for both Puck and the still-shaking Blaine. Getting fed up with trying to slip him in while still having space for himself, Puck just slid into the car and held Blaine in his lap, the same position he held him while they were walking.

Spotting his friend out of the corner of his eye, Kurt snapped his head towards him, eyes widening at the site. Blaine had no visible marks to show that Karofsky had hurt him, but his eyes were now snapped shut as he curled up into Puck. Reaching a slightly-shaking arm out to the boy, Kurt withdrew his hand right before he made contact with him. He feared that if he touched him, he would break. And that thought just made tears role down Kurt's porcelain skin.

The car ride held the same image for the fifteen minute drive to the Hummel residence - Kurt watched a shaken up Blaine mumble words in a hushed tone that no one could hear while he kept his eyes tightly shut, clinging to Puck. Puck held onto the panicked boy the entire time, never once looking at him, preferring to look out the window with an emotionless gaze instead. Rachel kept her eyes on the road, Finn doing the same except for the occasional worried glance to the backseat. It was fifteen minutes of silence, and one of the longest fifteen minutes for everyone there - well, everyone except for Blaine, who seemed to have no idea what was going on.

The silence was broken about a minute before they arrived at Kurt's. A small whimper was emitted from Blaine's mouth, and he tightened his grip on Puck's shirt. Puck's gaze darted from the window to the boy he was holding. His eyes were filled with panic as he tried to think of what had happened to cause him to be so distraught. Even Kurt was shocked at what was happening to Blaine. Karofsky had only grabbed only Blaine's fist from what he saw. Why would that cause him to be _this_ panic-stricken?

Without even trying to figure out the answer, he hopped out of the car before it even made a complete start, and shakily ran to the side Blaine and Puck were on. Puck beat him to opening the door, and slid out in a similar speed to Kurt. Finn slowly joined them, and took Blaine from Puck's grasp, causing more whimpers. Finally managing to loosen the grip the smaller boy had on his shirt, Puck retreated a few steps away from the boy. Kurt had already dashed up to the door, and was attempting to get his shaky hands to push the key into the hole. Coming up behind him, Rachel held onto his hand and helped him slip it into the lock. Turning his head around, Kurt shot her a small smile before pushing the door open and letting Finn in before fallowing behind.

Seeing as Burt was in the hospital, Kurt had expected the house to be empty. Unfortunately for him, Carole had decided to stop by to check on him, letting herself in with the spare key her boyfriend had given to him. She was currently dusting off the table by the couch, picking her head up when she saw the door open.

"Oh, hi Kur- Why the tears? What's wrong?" she turned from Kurt to her son, spotting the whimpering boy in his arms. "Who's that?" There was a bit of panic edged into her tone, and Finn bit his lip. He didn't himself really know what was going on. Taking a glimpse at Kurt, he saw a new wave of tears flow down his face as he went over what happened - and by the look on his mom's face when he turned back to her, she saw it too.

After a few moments of silence, Finn decided to tell what little bit he _did _know. "Uhh, well, me, Rach and Puck were gonna go get some coffee before hitting the movies, and we heard Kurt yelling at someone to leave him alone right before we entered. So we ran over there, and well… we saw Karofsky facing Kurt and Blaine-" he quickly shot his gaze down to the boy in his arms so his mother knew who he was talking about, "but he fled once we got over there. They've both been shaken up since then. We like, didn't see him hurting them or anything… but… I just have no idea what the hell happened, but neither of 'em really seemed in the condition to really tell us, so I… uhh… we didn't really ask."

Carol nodded in understanding before stepping over to Kurt and gently brushing a bit of his hair back. Normally he'd be fretting at anyone touching his hair, but he just continued to sob, lightly gripping at his shirt as he held onto himself. Carole pulled him into a hug, and he just shook his head against her, mumbling that he was fine.

Once he'd been released from the hug, Kurt made his way over to Finn and Rachel, and Puck who had finally decided to come in only moments before. "Thank you guys for making Karofsky leave us alone… and, sorry about scaring you guys, if we did… just wasn't really expecting him to show up there, you know?" his voice was oddly calm for someone who'd been so distraught a minute ago. It shocked everyone, and so no one had a response. With that, he moved to stand directly in front of Finn, and look at the boy he was still holding in his arms. He bit his lip to prevent the tears from falling, and forced a small smile onto his face.

"Hey, Blaine, you okay?" his voice was hushed, and whispered, but he managed to prevent it from wavering. All he knew was that something was wrong with his friend. Forcing himself to remember the scene, he remembered one moment where Karofsky moved in closer to Blaine. He couldn't make out what it was, but he was sure that something was said to the shorter boy. "Wh-…what did he say to you, Blaine?"

The countertenor's voice seemed to trigger something in Blaine, and the grip on Finn's shirt was slowly loosened a bit. Everyone was staring at Blaine now, even Puck. Rachel and Carole's faces were filled with concern, but Kurt struggled to stay as visibly happy and relaxed as he could, even though inside he was still a little freaked out from what went on. But for now, Blaine needed him to be calm, cool, and relaxed… not to mention, he'd never hear the end of it from Finn and Rachel if they saw him break down again, not to mention Puck might insist on like… his personal body guard or something. But that was beside the point.

"K-Kurt…." The word was soft, and the voice shaky (not to mention still somewhat hoarse), but Kurt recognized it immediately. Blaine's eyes slowly fluttered open, and Finn let him down onto the couch. After taking a few shaky breaths, he looked up at Kurt and smiled a smile similar to Kurt's – fake, but each was glad to see that the other was okay, that much was true emotion fueling it.

"Would you guys mind, um… just, going upstairs or outside for a minute? I'll tell you all what happened later if you want, just… not right now." Kurt's gaze never flickered from Blaine though. He moved over to sit beside him, and the two turned so that they were facing each other on the couch. Everyone else's gazes flickered from the two boys to each other.

"I-I'll just go, my dad's said that they wanted me to hurry home, so… ya. Puck, want me to drive you?"

"Uhh, sure."

"Finn, let's go check on Kurt's dad at the hospital, okay?"

"Uh, what? Why? Weren't you just ther-… I mean, of course, let's go."

With that, the door closed. The two were left alone, but said nothing. They just looked at each other. They took in each-others tear stained faces and wanted to do nothing but heal the other. Their friendship may be new, but it was strong. No one could deny that. Anyone who looked at them together would think they'd been friends for years. And now, looking into each other, they felt that way.

The silence would have been akward to anyone who chose that moment to enter the house, but for these boys, the silence seemed to be full of noises. It seemed to be full of one another's hearts speaking to each other, their minds racing over thoughts of what the other might be thinking. It was a good kind of silence, a silence that left space for thought. A silence where two friends could calm down from a traumatic event, both trying to avoid what they knew they would have to talk about soon. But for now, the silence seemed to be filled with unspoken words.

Kurt was the first to break that silence.

"I was right." Blaine raised an eyebrow, and Kurt chuckled before continuing. "Your voice really _is_ beautiful, even if it is a little unused." A small laugh escaped Blaine's mouth, and he smiled brightly at Kurt, muttering a quiet 'thank you'. Silence filled the room again.

"Hey, Kurt… did I… did I say anything while I was, you know… out of it?" Now it was Kurt's turn to raise an eyebrow. He slowly shook his head, and Blaine closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief, relaxing backwards again. "Good, thank God…" the words were quiet, and hardly audible, so much so that if there had been any other conversations going on in the house, Kurt wouldn't have heard it. But, the house was empty, and so he did.

"What were you… what was going on in your mind during that, Blaine?" said boy began to tighten up, eyes widening a bit as Kurt asked him that. He bit his lip, and looked up at the countertenor. Spotting his uncertainly, Kurt quickly rushed out a few more words, "Y-you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just… if you, you know, need someone to talk to, I'm here," a small smile formed on his lips as he spoke. "Always will be."

The last few words were whispered, but Blaine knew they were true. And he knew he could trust Kurt. He just… well, he didn't want the boy to look at him differently, or treat him differently after hearing about what had happened to him. He liked their relationship now – Kurt was someone he always felt safe around. He felt… _normal_ around him. He didn't want Kurt to stare at him like he was something that would break at the slightest contact.

But, he didn't know if he could hold it in any longer. He felt that, for some reason, Kurt would understand. He would sincerely understand, and if anything, their relationship would grow closer. The more secrets he held from Kurt, the farther apart they really were; the more of a stranger he really was to his friend.

So after what seemed like ages, he finally spoke.

"I… I was having a flashback," the words quickly tumbled from his mouth. When Kurt said nothing, Blaine looked up at him and continued. "It's happened a few times now. Always of the same event, too. It… it happened a little while before I moved here. You see, me not talking wasn't the reason why my parents pulled me out of school – no, that was just the reason they put me in _therapy_," he spat the word out like it was venom. "The reason they moved here was because of something else." Swallowing, he bit his lip.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Blaine. I know it can be hard to relive the experience, so I understa-" Blaine held up a finger to the other boy's lips to cut him off, and shook his head.

"No, no I want to. That is, if you'll let me tell you." It was more like a plead than a request, and Kurt felt his heart shattering. If he felt that he had to ask permission to _tell _the story, then it must not have been something good. After a swift nod from Kurt, Blaine took a deep breath and continued.

"It was the last day before vacation. I hadn't spoken a word for about four months then. It seemed as though every single kid there wanted to make _some_ sort of sound come from my mouth though – and I don't mean that in a good way. They'd find me between classes, and do whatever they could to make me cry out or whimper. I'd race from class to class, spending every free block I had in the library, were they'd get detention for causing a commotion. And it seemed to be working… for the most part." Blaine didn't look at Kurt was he spoke. He tapped his fingers on his leg, looking down at his lap, or occasionally glimpsing at the door.

But Kurt's eyes were locked on the other boy. He thought that what _he'd_ gone through was bad, but the worst abuse he got was shoves into the locker… nothing that bad. He couldn't help himself but reach out and place a hand on the other boy's when he paused for a moment. Blaine looked up at him, shocked at first, then smiled gently before continuing to look at his lap.

"But that day, I'd been held back from English class for a bit to talk to one of my teachers about a bit of an extra credit project – I didn't need it, but I tried to busy myself in as much work as I could, not allowing myself to think of the problems I had to face at school, unless they were math problems written on a paper in front of me." Kurt nodded, understanding exactly what Blaine said. He felt that way sometimes too, only he buried himself in the Glee Club instead – McKinley had too easy a curriculum to burry yourself in work for that long. "So, I didn't really have enough time to go to the library. Free block was almost over, and so I had to just spend what little time I had left attempting to avoid pretty much everyone.

"I thought I'd be able to do it after about ten minutes of wandering the halls, hidden from sight. But then, I felt someone grab at my arm and pull me into the supply closet I'd been passing. I wanted to shout out for help but remembered that no one there would care once they recognized the shout was mine-" Kurt winced at those words, "-and so stayed quiet, not giving them the satisfaction. Before I knew it, I'd been shoved into a basket of cleaning supplies, stumbling backwards until my head hit a wall.

"And then, I-I felt something cool up against my neck…" Blaine was holding back tears now, Kurt could tell. "H-…he was holding a kn-knife up to my throat, whispering things to me. I d-didn't even b-bother listening to h-him… b-but I caught o-one thing that he s-said…

"He told me… he told me that if I didn't leave, he'd kill me. And t-to prove it…" sliding his hand away from under Kurt's, he slipped his sweatshirt off, and hung it sloppily over the back of the couch. Normally, Kurt would complain over the proper way to take care of such expensive clothing, but right now, someone could burn his entire Marc Jacobs collection on fire, and he wouldn't notice-… well, _might_ not notice. His mind was set solely on Blaine, and what he was about to show him.

With a shaky breath, Blaine pulled his shirt up over his head. Wrapped around his chest was a white bandage, and he slowly peeled it back, causing Kurt to gasp. On his chest, right below his collarbone, was the word "Fag" carved into his chest. Without even noticing what he was doing, he reached out an arm to touch the words, to see if they were truly there. And he knew they were. His hand made contact with Blaine's cool skin, and Blaine chocked back a few sobs.

He'd never showed anyone the scarring before; he'd refused to even show his parents. He was too afraid that they'd be ashamed of him, that they'd think he was a disgrace. Now not only _was_ he a fag… but he had the written proof in permanent lettering.

"I… I passed out from blood loss, and next thing I knew… I woke up in the hospital. I still don't know who it was that had found me… but… apparently wh-when I fell, I hit my head… and I… I was in a coma for three weeks. By the time I woke up, I'd m-mostly recovered… so my parents took me home… and we immediately moved here…" he finally allowed himself to look up at Kurt.

"I…I'm so sorry, Blaine…" blinking back a few tears, Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine. It had all happened to him so recently… only three months ago… and the scarring still even looked fresh. For someone so young to go through something so traumatic… Kurt couldn't even imagine how Blaine managed to get up every day. But he did. And that just made him strong.

"Don't be. It's not your fault… and besides," Blaine backed away from the hug, and smiled at Kurt. "I got to meet you this way, right?"

Kurt smiled through the tears that slid gently down his face._ Ya, ya it did._ "I guess every bad thing really _does_ have an upside," he giggled softly.

The two looked at each other for a second, before Blaine collapsed towards Kurt, and held onto him tightly. Shocked, Kurt wrapped his arms tightly around the other boy, and gently rubbed his back. He didn't even care that his new Alexander McQueen coat (though, that wouldn't stop him from obsessing over the fact that the salt had ruined it later) was getting soaked with tears. He just whispered soothing words to Blaine, and let him cry.

After a little while, Blaine sat up with a sniffle. "S-sorry… I just… I've never really told anyone what happened. I-… I told everyone at the hospital that I couldn't remember what happened… I told them I just remembered walking out of the English room, and being pulled into a closet…" he was looking back at his lap now. "I just… I felt too _ashamed_ at myself."

Kurt didn't allow him to continue, but rather wrapped his arms around the boy, gently stroking his gelled hair that had been loosened up greatly after all that happened. After a few moments like that, he spoke again. "You shouldn't be ashamed in yourself…" he pulled away, only to keep his hands on Blaine's shoulders, and force the shorter boy to look at him. "You're a great person, Blaine. Sure, you're not perfect, but… who is? Everyone has their faults, but _being gay_ is _not_ one of them. And you shouldn't let one school of homophobic _jerks_ get to you. You may not be perfect, but you come very close Blaine."

No more words were spoken that night. Even though it was only the late afternoon, Blaine collapsed into Kurt's arms after those words, and fell asleep that way. Not wanting to wake the other boy, he just stroked his hair until he, too, fell asleep.

And that was the way they stayed until morning: Kurt lying back on the sofa with both arms wrapped around the other boy, and Blaine lying on top of him, his face tear stained.

In Kurt's mind, that was totally worth missing his nightly skin-care routine.

* * *

**A/N: **There. Done. God, I was suppose to be working on my project the past few hours. Ah well. Sucks for my teacher. And me, I guess... oh well! Lemme know your thoughts, and also, I love ideas! I pretty much am a write-as-I-go person, except for a few scenes that I plan out early. Like, I know one I want to have later that _does_ include a certain someone singing *winkwink* buuuuut, we have to wait a little while for that. Just a chapter or so. But he will sing before then... most likely... but anything like an entire scene idea to "KURT/BLAINE SHOULD SOO SING THIS SONG!" would be really useful to me, actually! I'll incorperate as many ideas as I can, and make sure to thank you personally in the authors note~

Thanks again!


	7. Chapter 7 Hiding

**A/N:**Okay, I'm REAAALLY sorry it took me so long to update. Here's the thing - my laptop's broken. I'm currently using my dad's... just wrote this up as fast as I could. Anyways, it should be back on Tuesday, so I promise another chapter then if it is, okay? Also, I had to do my damn history project... which... still isn't done...

Anyways, enjoy what my half-dead brain came up with? Sorry if this chapter's boring...

* * *

Light shinned in through the window as the sun rose, casting a warming glow onto the two bodies huddled close to each other on the couch. The only sound that could be heard in the empty building was the soft breathing of the two teenage boys that had dozed off in each other's arms the night before.

Tears stained both of their cheeks, as they fell asleep quietly sobbing with the other. Blaine was curled up tightly on the inside of the couch, an arm wrapped tightly around Kurt as if he was his only lifeline. The hair gel that normally held his hair down flat had broken up, and rough strands of hair now curved around into the natural curls he liked to hide so much.

Kurt had an arm around the shorter boy's shoulder, and was for the most part falling off the couch that really wasn't meant for two people to sleep in. He had one arm and one leg dangling over the edge, and if his head hadn't been turned to the side, the uneven weight likely would have knocked him off of the bed. But instead, his head was placed right above Blaine's, seeing as he fell asleep whispering comforting words to the other. His normally perfect hair had lost the strength of his hairspray, and was now hanging limply around his face, some of it even covering parts of it.

Blinking a few times, the countertenor groaned at the uncomfortable position he was in, and attempted to stretch his arms – unsuccessfully, of course, seeing as he had forgotten that the other boy was lying on his arm. Groaning, his slipped his arm out, careful not to wake the other, and tried to access the situation. Unfortunately, only a second after he managed to slip his arm out, he rolled and fell onto the floor with a loud 'bang'.

Shooting his head up, Blaine let out a panicked yelp, having no idea what the noise was, or where he was for that matter. Jumping to his feet, Kurt hushed him, and smiled gently, having just remembered everything that had gone on the day before. Glancing at the clock, his eyes widened at the time. 5:42 AM. They had managed to sleep a good thirteen-or-so hours, and Kurt personally could not take lying down any longer, even if it _hadn't_ been the most comfortable sleep he'd ever had.

"You feelin' okay, Blaine?" Kurt asked, kneeling on the ground beside the couch. The other boy simply nodded, and brushed a hand back over his unruly hair, letting out a quiet sigh.

"You wanna talk about anything?" A shake of the head was his only answer.

"You… you're not going to stop talking again, are you?"

To that, Blaine bit his lip, and shrugged. In all honesty, he _wanted_ to talk to Kurt. He just… couldn't. He felt as though speaking would only lead to him causing more damage on the younger boy. He'd already done enough, working him up over nothing the day before. And then he emptied a great deal of problems from his mind onto the other's. Surely Kurt was just being nice to him now, and would leave him for dead the moment they got to school.

Sensing the worry, Kurt reached out and gently stroked Blaine's head. "It's okay, I'm sure that Finn and Puck will get the other's to help keep Karofsky away from you, okay?" Blaine nodded. "And I won't tell them your story if you don't want me to."

In all honesty, that thought hadn't even crossed his mind. He forgot that Kurt now had the ability to tell the others about what a screwed up child he was, and that was only part of his story – all be it, one of the worst parts, but still. There was more. And now anyone could know, now that Kurt knew. But he let out a breath, and nodded. He trusted Kurt, and he kind of had to at this point.

"C'mon. I'll go get dressed – quickly, so you'd better be grateful – and then we'll drive over to your place, let you get ready, and grab some coffee at the Lima Bean before school, okay?" Another nod.

"Good."

* * *

Miraculously, Kurt actually managed to get ready in a simple forty-five minutes. The entire time, Blaine sat on the couch, thinking. Thinking about what had happened yesterday to trigger the flashback. Clearly it had to do with Karofsky, but in reality, being punched in the face wouldn't have been anything new to him. So a simple grip on his fist shouldn't have caused that terrible a flashback.

Then, it hit him. It wasn't that _he_ was experiencing so terrible… it was watching it happen to someone else. Watching it happen to Kurt was what triggered both his speech and the flashback. It had been _Kurt_ that brought back the memories… and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

Just when he really began thinking, Kurt came out wearing tight-fitting white skinny jeans that looked like they were painted on his legs, and a loose gray dress-shirt. His hair was perfectly styled (as always), and he had rushed on his morning skincare routine.

"Sorry about the bland outfit, I was trying to hurry and anything else would have taken me at _least_ an hour to get together, not to mention then I would have had my hair and everything," Kurt gave Blaine a small smile. "You ready then?"

"Y-yeah…" it was a whisper, but the simple sound of the boy's voice was enough to make Kurt's smile widen. He nodded, and quickly ran into the kitchen, coming back with two apples, handing one off to Blaine.

"Not having breakfast is like death," Kurt joked, winking at the other boy. Blaine felt himself Blush a bit, but just looked down at the apple and took a bite as they headed outside to Kurt's navigator (Finn had picked it up for Kurt from the Lima Bean where they had left it).

* * *

The car ride to Blaine's house had been filled only by the sound of the radio, and Kurt's occasional humming to a song he was enjoying. The countertenor had snuck a few glances at his friend, but he didn't notice. He was too deep in thought, his eyes glued to the window on his side as his chin rested gingerly in his hand.

They had been driving for around for about fifteen minutes when Kurt finally stopped in front of a large beige building. Blaine snapped out of his train of thought, and opened his door, slowly getting out. Kurt went to do the same, but Blaine shook his head, and faces Kurt, their eyes looking into each other.

"Just… let me talk to my parents, and I'll be out in around twenty minutes, okay? Wait here." Blaine's voice was still hoarse due to lack of use, and that much speaking had already pretty much dried his throat. He swallowed hard before walking inside, leaving Kurt out in his car by the curb.

Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, he wondered why Blaine wouldn't let him go into his house… maybe he really just _did_ want to explain what had happened to his parents alone. Sighing, Kurt rested his head against the leather wheel, careful not to let his forehead hit the horn. He watched the minute hand on the silver watch he had slipped onto his wrist that morning, and waited.

* * *

**Five minutes later**

* * *

'_Okay, he said twenty minutes. It's only been five. Just be patient. It only takes around ten minutes to get to school from here, and school doesn't start for another forty minutes. Just wait…' _But Kurt couldn't help but be his impatient self, tapping the fingers of his left hand on the seat he was sitting on, his right hand still on the wheel, along with his head.

* * *

**Eight minutes**

* * *

'_Maybe I should go check on him, make sure he's okay…'_ The idea just made Kurt grunt, and lift his head up only to slam it back against the wheel. _'God, Kurt, he waited forty-five minutes for you. What a friend you are, wanting to go rush him after…'_ he checked his watch _'eight minutes. Eight minutes, Kurt. I'd like to see _**you **_get ready that fast… hah, like that's even possible.'_

* * *

**Fourteen minutes**

* * *

'_He'll be out soon, Kurt… just wait… six more minutes. If he's not out in ten minutes, you can go check on him. But you told him you'd wait, so wait. Hold on…'_ Reaching into his pocket, Kurt pulled out his phone and scrolled threw the contacts until he found the name he wanted –

_Blaine Anderson_

Quickly, he typed up a text message addressed to the boy –

_'Just wanna make sure you're doing okay! We've got around thirty minutes until we should get to school, so no rush –K'_

_ 'There, that seems expectable.'_ Placing his phone back in his pocket, he continued taping on the steering wheel, and resorted to turning the radio up in an attempt to drown out his pointless worry.

* * *

**Twenty Minutes**

* * *

_'Need 2 talk 2 my parents, go 2 school w/out me. C u in Spanish? –B'_

Kurt had been staring at the text message for around three minutes by now. Sighing in defeat, he turned the radio off, and was about to put his foot on the gas petal when he heard a scream. Eyes widening, he flipped his car off and waited to see if he could hear something else.

Nothing.

And then… another scream. It didn't sound like a scream that someone would shout while in pain, no, someone was just… screaming at someone else, solely out of anger, or possibly even hate. But, it was a soul-shattering scream. It was high-pitched(most certainly a woman), and sounded furious. It was frightening, and despite not even _seeing_ the screaming person, Kurt was quite frightened.

And to make matters worse, Kurt was ninety percent sure that the scream was coming from the Anderson household. And seeing as Blaine never mentioned having any siblings, it was most likely his mother screaming… or an aunt, or something like that, but… still.

And that led Kurt to another question – _how_ long had she been screaming? After all, Kurt only noticed the shouts once he turned off the radio. She could have been going on like this for the past twenty minutes, but definitely not when they got there. When they arrived, the radio had been quiet, not to mention, Blaine opened the door – he would have heard it.

Turning the keys in the ignition again, Kurt opted to wait around the corner for Blaine to head out, just to make sure everything was okay. With any luck, Kurt was mistaken, and the sounds were coming from a neighbor or something.

But still, he had a bad feeling…

* * *

**Thirty Minutes**

* * *

_'I really should be going to school… if I don't go now, I'll be late… but, Blaine's not here yet… and what if something's wrong… But if I don't go now, I won't be able to go to Finn's locker to ask how my dad's doing… but, I suppose he would have called me if anything changed, right? Then again, he _is_ forgetful… ugh!' _For about the tenth time that day, Kurt slammed his head against the steering wheel, careful to avoid the horn and make any unnecessary noise that might alert the neighbors of his stalker-ish behavior – and it didn't help much that his car was black, either.

Sighing, he knew that he had to head to school. With any luck, Blaine would be there for Spanish like he had said.

* * *

9:43. It was 9:43 and Blaine still wasn't here._ 'How long does he need to talk to his parents, anyways?'_ Groaning, Kurt slammed his head down on the desk, ignoring the concerned look from Mercedes, and the fact that it could quite possibly mess up his hair.

"¿Estás bien?" Mr. Shuester asked, having come over to the back of the classroom after handing the class some worksheets to do. "You alright, Kurt?" The countertenor replied with a muffled response that sounded something like 'I'm okay, leave me alone'. Sighing, Mr. Shue patted Kurt's back, and raised an eyebrow at Mercedes, who merely shrugged, and went back to finishing her worksheet in an attempt to have less homework and have more time to work on her glee assignment when she got home. She knew that it was pretty much a lost cause to try and get through to Kurt right now…

…so she'd just wait for after class when she could corner him and no one else was around.

* * *

And that was precisely what she did. After Spanish, she had a free block, and she very well knew that Kurt did too. So after class, she grabbed a hold of the collar of Kurt's shirt when he headed to leave – careful to wrinkle the material as little as possible of course, and held him back.

"Whoa, whoa, what's up with you today, whiteboy? And don't you _dare_ say nothing, because I'm pretty damn sure I can tell when something's bothering ya." Kurt just smiled softly, and shook his head.

"Nothing, I promise. I'm just worried about Blaine. He said he'd be in by Spanish… but-" he motioned to the now almost-empty classroom, "-as you can see, he wasn't. So if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go to the library and start working on my Calculus." And with that, he gathered up the last of his things in his arms, slipped his bag over his shoulder, and made his way out of the room, leaving a confused Mercedes behind.

Now why the hell would Blaine have been late anyways?

She's heard a bit of what had happened yesterday from Rachel, but had somewhat zoned out when she had gone off topic for about the twentieth time to state how _brave_ and _heroic_ Finn was. She didn't need _another_ reminder of the fact that she was still alone. Sighing, she picked up her stuff and headed out to her locker – with any luck, she'd be able to find Finn and get at least _some_ of the story.

* * *

Blaine headed into the school, a pair of pink sunglasses on his face, hiding his eyes. He was rubbing his arm as he stepped through the door, his bag loosely slumped over his side. He did his best to maneuver in the shadows, and eventually made it to his locker without speaking to anyone. He grabbed his geography book out of his locker, and made to head to class early, but was stopped by someone grabbing onto the back of his over-large black sweatshirt, causing him to tighten up instantly.

"Blainey-boy, where have ya been? Kurt's worried sick over you!" Mercedes asked. Her voice was calm, but a bit harsh too. Blaine relaxed his shoulders at the sound of a familiar voice, and turned around once she let loose of his hood, which caused her to raise an eyebrow. "And what the hell are up with those sunglasses? I mean, I'm all for pink and stuff, but don't you think those are just a bit… I don't know… going overboard?"

Blaine merely shrugged, and bit his lip. Mercedes seemed to understand what he wanted to know, and just sighed. "Library." Blaine nodded, and ran from the direction Mercedes came from, leaving Mercedes alone.

"Jeeze, what is it with people and ditchin' me today?" she joked to no one but herself, and rolled her eyes. Maybe she'd be able to at least get Rachel to stick around and have a full conversation with her… not that she herself would be _doing_ much of the talking with a chatty mouth like her, but oh well.

* * *

Kurt looked up from the math he'd been _attempting_ to do when he heard the seat across from him moved. His annoyed scowl quickly changed into smile, then into a confused glance.

"Uhh… Blaine… not that you don't totally rock the look, but what's up with the sunglasses?" Blaine couldn't help but giggle. Ahh, of course the first question Kurt asked would be a fashion question, and not why he was late – and he couldn't be happier for that.

Merely shrugging he replied with as few words as he could in an attempt not to wear out his voice. "Tired. Bags." Kurt nodded in understanding, but frowned. He hadn't seen anything morning when they'd left… but, maybe he just wasn't paying close attention (like that was possible – he's _always_ staring at his eyes). With a simple sigh, he went to his next question.

"So, where have you been the past-" he glanced at his watch "-three hours? I thought you were just having a quick conversation with your parents, then heading over?" Kurt smirked, but felt himself frown when Blaine slumped back in his seat.

"Just talking." Kurt felt himself glare at the boy, and even though he had the sunglasses on, he _knew_ Blaine wasn't looking at him. And he _knew_ he was lying to him.

"Look, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but you don't have to lie."

Silence.

Kurt kept watching Blaine as the younger boy continued to slump in his seat, and glance around the small-ish library. Eventually, Kurt stood up, knowing that free block would be over soon and he should start heading towards Geography, seeing as it was on the other side of the school, but was stopped right as he turned around.

"Wait." He spun around, and saw Kurt looking at him.

"Coffee?"

Kurt smirked once again, and nodded. "So long as you come to Glee."

Now it was Blaine's turn to nod, and the two gathered up their things and headed to their second classes, the whole time Kurt wondering what the hell was up with Blaine. Because he was _positive_ that it had to be something.

* * *

**A/N:** Hah, going threw and adding the page breaks, I relized how short the spaces between them were...

Which made me remember that I want to go back and edit all the chapters. So I shall do that once I get chapter eight out, yes? Seeing as this one was boring, I want to get a more interesting one up first. And if anyone wants to Beta this, let me know, because I really, _really_, **suck** at spelling and grammar. I just spelt grammar wrong, in fact... thank god for spellcheck, yes?

Anyways, thanks for reading, and thanks to all my reviewers and any suggestions they made! I'll be sure to take those into account~


	8. Chapter 8 Can't Be Sure

**A/N:** I am SOO sorry for not updating! My project was more annoying then I thought, and my laptop isn't back yet, and people keep updating stories and distracting me, plus I'm just LAZY! But, here we gooo! I hope it's not as shitty as I think it is!

* * *

As always, Glee club couldn't come fast enough for the countertenor. Although, this time, he had even more of an excuse than it being a place where he wasn't judged for his sexuality, or the fact that it was a wonderful place to showcase his talents (when Rachel wasn't stealing his spotlight, of course). So, when the final bell rang telling them that school was over, Kurt jumped out of his seat and ran towards the Chorus room for their afterschool rehearsal.

Seeing as he was so speedy in getting there, he was the third person in – Rachel was first, along with Mercedes. Mr. Shuester had yet to arrive yet (no surprise, seeing as he had a tendency to show up later than most kids), and considering the fact that most of his fellow 'gleeks' enjoyed mingling with their friends before going to practice, it'd likely be at least a few minutes before anyone else came in.

Taking his usual seat next to Mercedes, the diva immediately attacked Kurt with a load of questions.

"Spill. Rachel told me about you, Karofsky, and that hobbit boy of yours. What happened? You okay? Is he okay? What happened to Karofsky? Why didn't you call me over so I could cut-a-bitch?"

The normality of this question-unloading from his best friend made him smile. Ahh, how he enjoyed being in her company.

"I'm fine, Mercedes, and so is Blaine. In fact, he's going to join us for glee today," he informed her with a smile, before continuing on deadpanned. "And Karofsky fled the scene after Puck, Finn, and Rachel showed up, so there was no chance to call you. I'm sorry babe, but I had to comfort Blaine a bit, he got kinda… freaked out afterwards…" He trailed off – ignoring Mercedes' questioning glance, and stood up as he saw Blaine entering the room, his head down as he tried to rush in as fast as possible.

"Whoa, slow down there," Kurt said, now standing in front of Blaine, placing a hand on his shoulder. Blaine's shoulder twitched in response, but immediately looked up at Kurt beneath the bright-pink sunglasses still propped on his face. Kurt raised an eyebrow a bit, but said nothing. "Well, anyways… let's go sit, okay?" He grabbed onto Blaine's arm, lacing it through his own as he'd done with Mercedes so many times, and went to sit back down next to her.

"Hey Blaine," Mercedes spoke up as they sat down, giving a warm, gentle smile to the obviously nervous (or frightened, depending on how you want to look at it) boy. Blaine returned the smile briefly without speaking, then decided he would rather look at the floor than Mercedes, Kurt, or any of the others flooding the room.

When Mr. Shuester entered the room, Kurt immediately ran over to him to explain why Blaine was here again. "Look, Mr. Shue, I know he's not a member of glee club or anything, but I got him to talk yesterday and I think maybe if he just joins us he might be able to relax a bit and might start talking again, plus I'm kind of worried about him because he's been acting really weird – well, weird for him anyways – all day, and I just have no idea wh-" his ramble was cut off by the Glee teacher holding up a hand and smiling.

"No need to explain, Kurt. Blaine's always welcome to join us, let him know that, okay? And you're always welcome to bring a guest Kurt, especially considering what you're oing threw right now. I'm just glad to see you're letting your friends in again." Kurt smiled and nodded – not wanting to talk about his father and how he'd been acting about all the religious 'crap' (in his opinion) they'd been trying to drag him into - before spinning on his heels and heading calmly back over to Mercedes and Blaine, who had now been joined by Tina, and Rachel moved from talking to Finn over to the group as well.

"Hey Blaine, nice to see you in Glee Club again," the soloist stated in her normal expression that meant you-guys-are-doing-something-that-is-going-to-ruin-my-place-as-lead-soloist-aren't-you. Kurt just rolled his eyes with a smile, very use to this side of Rachel by now. She took a seat next to Tina and right behind Kurt and Blaine. Her voice immediately changed to a concerning one, though. "You feeling better today?" Blaine merely nodded and slumped in his chair, hating that he was being put as the center of attention. Noticing this, Kurt twitched his head a bit at Mercedes who immediately took the hint and turned around to get deep in a discussion with Tina and Rachel about plans to go to the mall tomorrow, allowing Kurt to talk to Blaine in (at least a bit of) privacy.

"Are you sure you're okay with being here? If you want to just leave and go get coffee, I'm sure Mr. Shue would be fine with me missing one practice… I mean, I'm just do-opping in the background for this song anyways, no one would even notice I'm gone!" Kurt smiled gently at Blaine as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Blaine shook his head before leaning back in his chair. "Well... do you want to move to the back of the room where we were last time or something? We're only going to be sitting until Mr. Shuester tells us to start practicing, but he usually gives us ten or so minutes to wind down from the end of the day first." Blaine bit his lip, hesitating on his answer, before finally shaking his head and looking blankly at the band that was tuning their instruments.

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, Kurt was surprised to see a text from Mercedes. He glanced over at her, and saw her chatting with Tina and Rachel still, but she shot him a quick glance that pretty much shouted at him to read his phone or she'd make him pay later.

'_Blainey-boy ok ther? Didn't Rach say he talkd or sumin yesterday? – M_'

Kurt rolled his eyes. How did news travel so fast? After all, he only did say a few words in Rachel's presence… but, he pretty much spilled his guts out to Kurt... maybe she was right, and there _was_ something wrong… other than the amount of people surrounding him, of course.

'_Not sure… he's been acting really weirdly today. And ya, he talked… his voice sounds really angelic, but it's really hoarse since he hasn't used it in ages… but he didn't really say much today, just a bit this morning when I dropped him off at home. – K'_

Blaine ignored Kurt's texting, not even bothering to figure out what was going on, or noticing the girl beside him texting as well. He was off in his own world, staring at the wall.

'_Never seen u call someone's voice angelic Kurt, u must have it BAAAADDD. Wait, u dropped him off? Did he like, stay at ur house or somthin? GIVE ME THE DEETS! NOW, WHITE BOY! – M'_

The little snicker from Kurt also went unnoticed by Blaine, to his relief.

'_We fell asleep after he told me something and got upset! And I don't have it bad!... I think… oh God, I'm really falling for him, aren't I? – K'_

_ 'Everyone can c that but u, baby. Just ask him out already – M'_

_ 'He doesn't need a boyfriend now, and I hardly know him! I just started speaking to him for the first time in TWO MONTHS. He needs someone to help him through everything, and he doesn't need a boy to add to the distractions – K'_

_ 'If your sure… - M'_

_ 'Positive – K'_

Kurt placed his phone back in his pocket, knowing that Mercedes would drop the topic now, and turned to Blaine, worrying his lip. He studied the side of the boy's face – his hair, the structure of his face, hell, he spent some time looking at his _neck_. Oh yes, he was falling for Blaine. And hard. But no way was he going to act on those feelings and ruin a perfectly good friendship. He'd already done that once with Finn, even if it wasn't exactly the same situation, but still.

Looking at his face, that's when he noticed something – a gentle shade of purple showing from under what looked like a layer of coverup, hidden behind the (tacky, in Kurt's opinion) pink glasses he'd been wearing all day. Kurt's eyes widened, and of course, Mr. Shuester made everyone get up to dance at just that moment.

Let's just say Kurt's dancing wasn't exactly up to par.

* * *

"Blaine…" the entire car ride to the Lima Bean had been silent up until Kurt spoke those words. Kurt had opted to drive Blaine to get coffee, then they would return to McKinley for Blaine to get his car and drive home. They were about a minute away now, and had stopped at a red light, giving Kurt the time to question Blaine about his earlier discovery. "Is everything okay?"

A sharp nod was all he got. _That_ didn't give him much reassurance. Sighing when the light turned green again, the two remained silent as Kurt found a parking space almost immediately, and the two made their way into the café.

* * *

The walk into the coffee shop had been silent except for when Kurt ordered a Non-fat Mocha for himself, and a Medium Drip for Blaine. The two had been sitting at their seats across from each other at the table for around five minutes, mindlessly sipping on their coffees every now and then, when Kurt finally spoke.

"Blaine… are you _sure_ everything's alright?" He already knew what the answer would be – a nod. There was no way Blaine would admit to being vulnerable – he was far too much like Kurt to do that. Yesterday would likely be the only time he'd ever see the boy break down like that.

Like he expected, Blaine merely nodded. Sighing, Kurt reached his hand across the table to place in Blaine's. "Look, Blaine, I know something's up. Please, just tell me. You can always talk to me Blaine, and I really need you to right now." When Blaine gave no response, and seemed to not even be looking at Kurt (he was, in fact, staring at the wall behind the boy in order to avoid the taller boy's gaze), he sighed and reached across slowly, pulling the glasses off of Blaine's face. You could already see a gentle bit of purple exposed through the makeup, but just to be sure, Kurt swiped his thumb across the bottom of Blaine's eye gently, but the other boy still winced. Sure enough, the makeup slid off onto Kurt's finger, leaving behind a black-and-blue shaded part of skin.

"What… what happened, Blaine?" Kurt thought back to the yelling he'd heard this morning. "Did… did your _parents_ do this to you?" He asked the question softly, feeling bad for jumping to conclusions, but considering he was an out gay, it wasn't entirely unheard of for their parents to abuse them – in fact it was quite common. But Blaine immediately shook his head before placing his elbow on the table, and his chin on a closed fist.

"Did Karofsky? Or one of the other jocks? Is that why you were so late?" Blaine bit at his lower lip and seemed to be deep in thought before he gave a swift nod and turning his gaze away from Kurt. Placing Blaine's sunglasses down on the table, Kurt reached across hesitantly and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, cautious not to freak him out as he had noticed many physical interactions (from anyone) had that day. Blaine simply kept his gaze fixed on the wall, and just ignored the interaction, Sighing, Kurt moved his other hand to take Blaine's face in his own, and turn it to face him.

"Look, there's nothing to be ashamed off. I'd be lying if I said those Neanderthals hadn't given me my fair share of bruises." Blaine's eyes widened at that, and Kurt simply smiled sadly. "Not on my face – never imagined they'd be so stupid as to make a clear bruise, but they are pretty stupid..." the last part was pretty mumbled, but Blaine still made out the words, and listened as the boy continued, "but being shoved into cold, hard metal lockers does leave it's marks." He giggled lightly, trying to lighten the mood, but failing.

"I'm sorry…" Blaine mumbled quietly, still trying to avoid Kurt's gaze. He knew he was still holding back something, but knew he was fighting a losing battle, so just sighed and said "it's fine. Hey, if you're done, why don't we go for a quick ride in my baby before heading back to school?" Blaine nodded gratefully, and the two stood up, taking their still half-full coffees with them, Blaine slipping the sun glasses back on, and headed out the door.

"I'm warning you now, black eye or not, if you spill that coffee in my car, you are cleaning it up – by yourself – until it is _spotless_ and good as new." Blaine couldn't help but laugh at Kurt's words, but a simple glance at Kurt told him he was serious. He nodded, a smile on his face as he tried to hold back the chuckles threatening to burst from his mouth again, and got into the passenger seat.

The two drove around for about twenty minutes before Kurt's car made a loud 'pop'-ing noise, causing Kurt to groan.

"Oh, no, no, no, baby, no, please don't get a flat, please don't, oh please!" But his pleads weren't enough, for seconds later, the car rolled to a stop and Kurt jumped out of the car, still mumbling pleads under his breath. Blaine jumped out after a minute, walking around to the left side of the car where Kurt was inspecting the damage.

The wheel was completely flat, and Blaine could see the large shard of glass ebbed into it. It was from a beer bottle, of that he could be sure, for a simple look around the area showed the scattered remains of the rest of the bottle. Turning back to Kurt, he saw the boy now digging around for something in his trunk. He walked over, and raised an eyebrow as he saw Kurt pull out a small toolbox that had originally been a simple red box but now had some colored jewels placed on it spelling out the countertenor's name. Handing the toolbox to Blaine, Kurt then pulled out a large black tire, and rolled it around to the side of the car were the flat was, Blaine fallowing close behind.

Opening up the door, Kurt turned up the radio before taking the toolbox from Blaine and humming along to the song playing. The shorter boy smiled as Kurt pulled the front wheel off, brushing his hands off on a rag before slipping the other tire on and securing it into place. Blaine remained silent the entire time, as usual. When Kurt was finally done, he wiped his hands off once more before standing up and whipping the back of his hand across his forehead before fixing his bangs. He smiled at Blaine before picking up the toolbox and handing it to him.

"Would you mind putting that back for me?" Blaine simply nodded, and slipped it into the trunk as Kurt carried the flat tire, careful not to let any grim or dirt get onto his clothing. Taking his sunglasses off, he folded them up and placed them in his pocket. Kurt smiled at him as he backed out of the trunk, having just hidden the stuff away in the back. "Sorry about the delay, we'd better head back now, huh? I was supposed to be at the hospital-" he checked the clock on his radio "-fifteen minutes ago to meet with my dad's nurse." Being use to no response, Kurt took it as a yes, and the two climbed into their seats before heading off towards the school, remaining silent except for the radio the entire way.

Kurt walked Blaine to his car in the almost-empty parking lot, and smiled at him as he opened the driver's door. "Please, let me know if anything else happens." No response except for Blaine once again slipping his lower lip between his teeth and biting at it. "Please…" he begged in a quiet, pleading voice. At that, Blaine merely closed the door and turned on the engine, signaling Kurt to go back to his car and drop the subject, and so that's just what he did.

But the whole time he drove towards the hospital, all that was on his mind was what Blaine could possibly be holding back from him.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry it's short, but I just wanted to get this out before I went to bed. And I'm going to bring Burt into this soon, I was going to drag Blaine to the hospital, but then I just got really, REALLY tired and wanted to get this out tonight(was going to last night, but laptop died and I fell asleep). Anyways, I'll try and update soon. My laptop should be back any day now, and I'm about half done my friend's birthday story, at which time I'll just ave to type that up, then I can work on this one at school too~

Thanks for reading/reviewing! ~Josh


	9. Chapter 9 Musicals and Flashbacks

**A/N: **SOOO sorry for the delay! I really am! But I have my laptop back, and it's the weekend, and I have some more state testing this week which means no homework, which means more writing time! And now I have a wonderful beta, so could everyone please give a round of applause to the wonderful redrosegal for beta-ing this chapter, and *coughcough* also kinda reminding me I had to write it, for in my current tired state of mind, I sorta-kinda-maybe-forgot. But I got it done! And it's short... But ahh well! IT'S DONE! I'll try and write some more tomorrow, possibly get a few chapters done in case I start to fall behind on getting stuff written again. But here!

Thanks again to Redrosegal, and to all my wonderful reviewers and fallowers! It's honestly surprising that even though I hasvenm't updated in like, two weeks, I sometimes still get a favorite alert or a story alert alert. But thanks a lot to everyone! I'm glad you all are enjoying my random-story-that-I-write-the-chapters-from-the-top-of-my-head! I really should write a story map... plan stuff out... anyways, enough rambling! Onto the story!

* * *

Kurt walked into the hospital, hands held behind his back as they gently swayed back and forth. He was tired. He could feel his eyes droop as he made his way down the hallway, smiling at the nurses and visitors that passed him. When he reached his father's room, his mask broke, and his smile dropped.

Shutting the door behind him, he dropped himself down onto the chair at his father's bedside, and placed his chin on a fist. He let out a sigh, and looked at his father's sleeping form. He gave a small smile towards him, and then looked around the room before reaching out his other hands to grasp his father's.

"Dad… I really need you right now. Please wake up. Just squeeze my hand today, please… I'm right here… you can open your eyes any time, dad," he said, repeating the same things that he said to his father every day. But every day, he got no response but the beeping of the heart monitor that made sure that Burt stayed alive. A single tear rolled down Kurt's face, and he was quick to wipe it away with the hand not holding his father's.

"Well, I guess you need some more rest, right dad?" Nothing. "Well… today was good. I'm talking to Blaine again. Remember, that kid I had told you about a few months ago? We went out for coffee yesterday, and I finally got him to tell me a bit about himself… I'm sorry I didn't come yesterday, we just sort of fell asleep on the couch," he let out a small, forced laugh before continuing. "He's gone through a lot, dad, and I feel like I can really help him… I just wish you were here to help me. But, I know you need to rest, so just focus on getting better.

"New Directions sends their 'get wells' again…" he smiled softly at the man in front of him before continuing, "and I can tell they're all worried, especially Finn. As much as I hate to say it, you really are like a dad to him… and we really are all like a family. And that's why you need to get better, Dad. It's not just you and me anymore – It's you, me, Finn, and Carole. And they need you to get strong too.

"And I… I don't know what I'd do without you, dad. I need you, and I really wish you were here… but, sleep well, okay? And make sure to wake up soon." He began to stand up just as a nurse walked in and tapped at her wrist, letting Kurt know visiting hours were almost up. "Get better, dad, and I'll be back tomorrow, okay?"

Releasing his father's hand, he smiled at him one more time before walking out the door and out to his car, heading home for the night.

* * *

_"Doe, a deer, a female deer. Ray, a drop of golden sun."_

A smile graces Kurt's face as he watched his favorite movie – the Sound of Music. He was curled up on the couch across from the TV, a warm, red blanket that used to belong to his mother shielding him from the cold. After arriving home from the hospital, he immediately did his skin routine, and prepared for bed. He had managed to get most of his homework done in study hall, and the rest he'd be able to do before the classes they were due in, so he was all set for the night. And all he wanted to do now was what he was doing – curl up on the couch, watching the movie his mother had named him after.

His eyelids began to grow heavy as he inhaled the scent of the blanket – it was very faint, but if he tried to imagine it, he felt as though he could still smell her rose-smelling perfume that she would always wear. He felt his eyes begin to cloud over in tears, and did his best to hold them back, not wanting them to dry up his freshly-moisturized skin.

_"Me, a name I call myself. Far, a long, long way to run."_

The entire car ride home, Kurt's thoughts had been on his dad. He did his best to push Blaine to the back of his mind, hardly succeeding. But once the thoughts of his dad rushed into his mind, he wished he were thinking of Blaine.

He thought of what would happen if his father died. He would be a seventeen-year-old orphan. He'd end up having to move in with his grandmother or something, and likely be too far away to ever see any of New Directions again. Carole and Finn would never _really_ be his family, and he'd feel more alone than he ever thought he would.

It had taken him nine years, and he was still hardly able to cope with his mother's death. He missed her and her comforting words every day. He loved his father, but… he was no Elizabeth Hummel. Burt wasn't the kind of man to teach his son to bake, or help him with boy troubles. He wasn't the kind of man who would rather take his son to a musical than a baseball game.

Yes, he knew his dad was trying. But at times, he really just needed a mom. And not that Carole wasn't great, but… she was more like a friend than a mother. He didn't feel… close to her. And who even knew if their relationship would work – sure, Carole made him happy, but relationships can feel wonderful one moment, then terrible the next.

And besides, their relationship wouldn't be able to work if Burt doesn't even make it.

_"Sew, a needle pulling thread. La, a note to follow Sol"_

He wanted to talk to Blaine so badly, but he just couldn't bring himself to call the boy and cry over his own problems, when it was clear that something was going on with the boy himself. So instead, he closed his eyes and allowed the tears to slowly drift down his face, falling onto his side, the music from the movie flooding into his head as he slowly drifted off into sleep.

He didn't even dare to think ahead of what the day would bring. For now, his father was alive. For now, Blaine seemed okay.

"_Tea, a drink with jam and bread. That will bring us back to Do..."_

So for now, Kurt would have to manage.

* * *

A cold breeze ruled dark hair as a figure sat in his bed, window open beside him. There were no lights on, so his body appeared to merely be a dark shadow. And that's how he felt at the moment – a shadow, not even there. At that moment, he felt as though he didn't even exist.

Looking around his room, Blaine saw a small bit of light seeping in threw his cracked open door. Glancing at the clock, he raised an eyebrow. Eleven fifty-two. That was odd – normally his parents were at work right now, and didn't get back until early the next morning, at which time they slept for a few hours before heading out again. Creeping out, he glanced around the dark hallway, spotting another light underneath the door to the study.

Placing an ear on the door, he heard the sound of voices. He immediately recognized the first voice as his father, but couldn't quite place a name on the other.

"We're perfectly fine here," spoke his father in a tired, and slightly annoyed voice.

"Are you sure you don't want to just send that rotten kid of yours to boarding school and be done with him?" snarled the other. Blaine already found himself hating this mystery person, immediately knowing they were talking about him.

"I'm positive. As much as the idea of having the stress of raising a teenage boy taken away from my wife an-"

"Don't forget the fact that he's _gay_," the mystery man cut him off, chocking on the last word. His father mumbled a bit, before continuing as though not getting interrupted. The sound seemed someone mechanical, and Blaine was finally able to place the voice as someone his father must have worked with from back home having called him over the phone.

"My wife and I don't have the money at the moment to send him away. We're working sixteen hours a day as it is, and he's getting enough of an education there. It's not as though he causes a problem – he's a mute, remember? We don't have any whining to deal with, so it's really like we don't have a son at all."

Backing away from the door, Blaine sighed. He knew this conversation – his father had had it with many of his work partners – they were upset at his father for quitting and moving, and told them to send him to boarding school when he admitted that they moved for Blaine. Then his father would say how they didn't want to be ridiculed for being 'terrible parents', and so they couldn't go back, seeing as they didn't want to pay for a boarding school.

And never once did his parents _truly _defend him when anyone said something about him.

But by now, he was used to it. Making his way down the stairs, he thought back to his conversation with Kurt in the coffee shop. He felt bad for lying to the boy, but it hadn't been _entirely _a lie. His parents _didn't_ do it. And it hadn't been a jock who had done it (as far as he knew), but no matter who had done it, it truly was his own fault.

* * *

_Blaine walked around the neighborhood, having left his house from the back window once his parents had begun fighting. He was sick of all the yelling. He shot Kurt a quick text message saying to go on without him, and had walked through to the streets behind his house, knowing Kurt didn't go home this way._

_Everyone on this street was either at work or school – he knew that much already. No cars were in any driveways, and he knew that some of his classmates lived on the streets. So all he had to do now was wander the streets, alone. Sighing, he continued his way along the road, not even paying attention to where he was going. Eventually, he spotted a group of three boys playing basketball that he didn't recognize. They seemed to be nineteen or twenty, and had yet to recognize him. When he took a few more steps forward, however, one of them turned around_

_"Hey, kid, shouldn't you be in school?" one of them asked. They were sneering at him, obviously telling he was gay by his apparel, but made no move to come after him. As he shook his head, another one spoke up._

_"Well then, whatcha' doin' here, boy? Or girl, whatever floats your boat, ya fairy." Blaine rolled his eyes at the unoriginality, and spoke in his hoarse voice._

_"Punch me," he whispered. They knew the boys heard him when their eyes widened._

_"Whoa, whoa, kid, we may not like no homo's, but we ain't gonna punch ya neither," said the second one._

_"Yeah, we're not _that _mean," mumbled the third._

_Blaine shook his head. "Please, I'll pay you." And with that, he pulled out a crumpled ten from his pocket, and held it out in a shaky hand. "Please, just hit me."_

_The first one stepped forward, and looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow. "Well, uh, I guess so, kid… you're seriously screwed in the head though," and with that, he snatched away the money, lifted his fist, and aimed the blow, hitting Blaine straight in the eye._

_Blaine held his ground, and blinked his already swelling up eye. "Thank you…" he mumbled before turning around and heading in the direction of his home. He could hear the basketball players talking about him as he left._

_'-such a weird kid-'_

_'-ain't got a brain, I'm guessin'-'_

_'-just came up here and asked to be punched! I mean, really-'_

_'-ten bucks for getting to punch a fairy?-'_

_'-pay _him _to let me punch him and get of scot free-'_

_By then, Blaine was out of hearing range, and continued down the straight streets leading him down to his home. His eye continued to slowly swell the entire way home, and before he could even see his house, he could hear the yelling._

_'-you just can't hold down a job, can you? You're so-'_

_'-finding everything wrong with me, and never even-'_

_'-lucky you've managed to nab this one, now hold onto-'_

_'-the man here, so you'll listen to me!-'_

_'-treat your wife!-'_

_Blaine sighed, and shoved the door to his home open. His parents were fighting in the kitchen, so he made his way there, hoping that for once he wouldn't be invisible. That they would care that their own son had a black eye._

_But of course, he was just a shadow, as always._

_His parents continued on screaming as though no one had come in. They just yelled at each other over pointless topics continuously as Blaine stood there for around ten minutes that felt like hours. Feeling tears leak down his face, Blaine ran from the room and up to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him._

_Looking around his room, Blaine stood in front of the window, touching the tender skin under his eye. It was already beginning to bruise up, and it _should _have hurt like hell. But it didn't. He felt numb, completely numb. He felt tears roll onto his fingers as he proceeded to prod at the skin under his eye, just trying to feel _any_ bit of pain._

_But none came._

_All that came was the feel that he deserved the punch in his face, even if that hadn't been the reason he'd wanted it. He'd wanted his parents to notice him and shut up for just two minutes to care about their son. But no. They were too wrapped up in their fighting to sense anything wrong, just like last time._

_Sitting down on the bed, he knew what he'd have to so if he ever wanted his parents to notice him. It wouldn't be something he was proud of, but he'd do _anything _to have his parents just _see_ him, even if they saw him as a terrible disgrace. He knew that for now, his parents avoided speaking of and to him. But maybe… just maybe… he could change that._

* * *

Now, Blaine stood in his kitchen, a small blade shaking between his fingers. He gently placed the blade to his upper arm, and watched is reflection in the mirror as he glided it across his skin. After a second, small red beads appeared on his skin, slowly dripping down the surface of his arm. Letting out a shaky breath, Blaine looked in the mirror.

He didn't want to be a self-harmer, but it might let them see him. See him as something other than "the-kid-we-are-forced-to-call-our-son". Even if that was just changed to "out-self-harming-son-that-is-a-total-disgrace-to-the-Anderson-household", they'd feel compelled to do _something _to help him, even if that was only so that the secret didn't get out.

But for now, Blaine was still just the shadow in his household. That annoying figure his parents couldn't seem to get rid of. The thing that made them move. The small problem they do their best to ignore.

Tears rolled down Blaine's face again as he grabbed a paper towel, and dabbed at his new cut, drawing away some of the blood. He looked at his arm, seeing the scars from the last time he'd done self-harm, and the fresh cuts from earlier that morning.

He couldn't help but think of what Kurt would think if he knew what he was doing, and felt the tears rush down his face more. He didn't want to be a self-harmer, but it might let them see him. See him as something other than "the-kid-we-are-forced-to-call-our-son". Even if that was just changed to "out-self-harming-son-that-is-a-total-disgrace-to-the-Anderson-household", they'd feel compelled to do something to help him, even if that was only so that the secret didn't get out.

But for now, Blaine was still just the shadow in his household. That annoying figure his parents couldn't seem to get rid of. The thing that made them move. The small problem they do their best to ignore.

Tears rolled down Blaine's face again as he grabbed a paper towel, and dabbed at his new cut, drawing away some of the blood. He looked at his arm, seeing the scars from the last time he'd done self-harm, and the fresh cuts from earlier that morning.

He couldn't help but think of what Kurt would think if he knew what he was doing, and felt the tears rush down his face more.

* * *

**A/N:** So now you all know what happened to Blaine. And all of you either believed him or thought it was his parents, PSH. Techniqually, I consider it to have been himself.

And honestly, don't say that people don't hurt themselves to get noticed. I have friends who have cut before, and some did it in hopes of someone noticing. So I know it can happen. But, anyways, I hope you enjoyed!

Also, Prom Queen? SOO good! Already seen it around six times I think, and I'd be watching it again if my migrane would go away. I've had it all damn day, and it won't leaaave. Lucky I got this done. I'ma go to bed now, fill my mind with the rumors I've heard for next weeks glee, and get up early to write before I hit up the carnival with my friends tomorrow!

Thanks a lot!  
~JoshuaAkita

((Also, if you noticed, Yes, I did change my Pen Name. 'Joshua' is the name I go by to most people in real life (my legal name is one I very much hate, and plus, it's female, so...) and Ashita means tomorrow in Japanese, because I always look forward to tomorrow, knowing that there is always a day to make up for what you've done. So, ya, that explains my new pen name. :D))


	10. Chapter 10 Nightmares

**A/N: **I meant to have this up yesterday, but fanfiction was being incredibly cruel and wasn't allowing redrosegal to send me back the edited version, and so we finally got it to work, so enjoy~

Anyways, everything italicized is Blaine's dream just in case you can't tell. And I wanted the chapter to be longer, but I wanted to get it done too because I was going out apartment searching with my mom. Good thing I stopped there too, because now I'm sick and can't focus enough to work too much, so you would've had to wait a while for the next chapter. I usually get over sicknesses in a few days though, so I'll do my best to scrape some stuff together that can hopefully be considered a story soon :3 I already have a pretty rough idea of what's going on the next chapter anyways.

Anyways, thanks again to redrosegal - my lovely beta - and anyone who has reviewed~ I think I'ma start replying to reviews at the bottom Authors Note like lots of people do, so... ya! Enjoy! Random sick rambleness done on a half-asleep mind done~

* * *

Slamming a pillow over his head, sleep continued to evade one Blaine Anderson. It was not three in the morning, and the conversation he'd overheard his dad having continued to play in his mind. His arm had long since stopped bleeding, and the gray shirt he was wearing was now stained red with his blood. Rolling out of bed, he walked towards the door and pressed his ear against it, hearing a muffled argument coming from across the hall in his parent's room.

"-send him to Army Camp or something-"

"-not gonna take him, he's weak. Can't even handle a little-"

"-try homeschooling?"

"-need to work, and I'm not paying for some tutor to teach-"

Pulling his head back from the door, he sighed. They were fighting about him. Again. Thinking of ways that they'd be able to move back, most likely. Blaine knew it was hard on them here, and he _wanted_ to tell them he was fine with moving back… but he wasn't. He couldn't go back to that hellhole. As bad as McKinley is, at least he has _friends_ here. At his old school… he had no one.

But for now, he couldn't take the endless fights centered around him. He couldn't stand the feeling of being a shadow in his own home. So, picking up his clothes from the floor, he quickly threw them on and grabbed his old backpack, heading out the front door.

He didn't know where he was going, but he just kept walking. His backpack was slung over his shoulder, and his footsteps on the pavement were the only sound he could here. And yet, he felt less alone outside than he did in his house.

At home, he was just _ignored_. Straight out ignored. People seemed to _want_ him to feel alone. Not to mention, his own _parents_ talked about him behind his back. But here… there was no one judging him. No one _to_ ignore him. No one purposefully making him feel as though he were nothing, as though he didn't matter.

The entire walk to his unknown destination, he thought about that. How even when he _was_ alone, he felt more important, more _human_ than he did around his family. He felt more like living than he did at home. He found more things to live _for_.

The entire walk, he thought about those things. The things worth living for. The things he _needed_ to live for, the _people_ he should live for. He smiled as one face in particular came to mind.

Kurt Hummel.

The day found Kurt taking a short walk before heading to school. Thursday was the one day of the week the group had convinced Rachel not to force Mr. Schuester into holding an after school Glee rehearsal, so he only had the class during the school day. This meant that he would be able to spend more time at the Lima Bean with Blaine – that is, if the older boy even wanted to go.

Just as he was about to pull out his iPhone to text the brown-eyed boy, he felt it vibrate. Pulling it out, he saw that it was an incoming call from Mercedes. Raising an eyebrow, he hit the answer button and held the phone up to his ear.

"Yeah Mercy? What's up?" he asked her.

_"White boy! Get your butt down to school right now, you gotta see this!" _Her voice sounded slightly panicked, causing Kurt to immediately turn around and head back towards his house from his walk.

"See what, Mercedes? Is everything alright?"

_"Just hurry up and get here! Chorus Room, okay?" _and with that, she hung up the phone, leaving a very confused Kurt to finish walking back towards his house. Lucky for him, he hadn't gone out that far, and had only left around ten minutes ago – thus only taking about five minutes for him to run. So that's what he did – he ran, the panic in Mercedes voice making him worry about what was going on.

The second he got home, he ran inside to grab his bag, locked the door, and hopped into the driver's seat of his Navigator. As he drove, he thought about what could be going on. Maybe someone had trashed the glee club room again, like how Vocal Adrenaline had last year… wouldn't be surprising, really.

Whatever it was, he would find out soon enough. The parking lot was empty except for some teacher's cars that had gone in early to do some work, and Mercedes' car. Parking next to hers, he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked towards the building in a speedy manor. Opening the door, he quickly brushed the coif in his hair off to the side, and made his way down the path he had long since memorized to get to the choir room – first left, straight until the end of the hall, then the second left, fifth door on the right.

He tried opening the door, but found it to be locked. Shaking the handle a few more times, he knocked on the door.

"Mercedes? Mercedes, open up! What's going on!" he asked, his voice a pitch higher than usual due to worry. Why would Mercedes lock the door when asking him to go there? He continued rasping his knuckles on the wooden door until he felt it begin to move, and Mercedes' head poked out.

"What is g-" he started only to be interrupted by Mercedes throwing a hand over his mouth, and a finger up to her own lips.

"Shh, don't talk, you'll wake him up." At that, Kurt could tell his face was the perfect picture of confusion. Wake who up? And why would they be sleeping in the choir room? Was this why Mercedes called him? Because she found a sleeping dude in the choir room? Obviously he wasn't a freak, if she was concerned for him getting sleep. That, or she'd knocked some dude out or something and she was worried he'd re-gain consciousness…_Oh great_, he thought. _Now not only do I ramble in real life when I'm worried, but I now ramble in my mind too. How wonderfully awesome_.

"Wake who up, exactly?" he whispered once she removed her hand from his mouth. She simple stepped to the side, and directed Kurt inside. Once she did, he instantly knew why she had called him. Sprawled out across a few seats lay Blaine freakin' Anderson, his hair loose and curled, wearing the same clothing he had been the night before.

Walking over towards him, he sat on the seat next to his head and asked Mercedes quietly, "What's he doing here?" She simple shrugged, and Kurt placed a hand on his head, and began to move his curly locks from his face.

"He's got a nasty black eye though," she informed her best friend, gesturing into the direction of the swollen, discolored skin surrounding his right eye. "Think he got in a fight with his parents or somethin'?"

"I don't know, Mercedes… I saw the black eye yesterday, and asked him who had done it. He said it was some jocks, but it doesn't explain why he's here…" Kurt sighed in defeat, deciding it was best just to ask the boy. He snickered a bit at that thought – Blaine would _never_ tell anyone why he was here. He'd just look at them, open his mouth, close it, and look at the floor. Boy, did he know Blaine well, and only after such a short friendship.

Shaking the boy gently, he leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Blaine, Blaine, wake up buddy, c'mon, the chorus room chairs aren't even that comfortable. We can take you to the history room – plenty of people seem to be able to fall asleep in there." Mercedes laughed at his joke, but Kurt just continued to shake the other until he heard a small mumble.

"Can't stop…" his voice sounded tired, and was almost inaudible at his low volume. Mercedes quickly made his way over to the boy, leaning in close with Kurt so that they could hear the other. "Keep… keep going… so close… can feel it…"

As much as he felt like a creeper at the moment, Kurt couldn't find it in himself to wake up the boy. He was dreaming, and obviously he was looking for something in his dream. He knew how disappointing it was to wake up from those dreams where you're looking from something before you find it – so he just sat with Mercedes, listening to the boy mumble incoherent words that made no sense to the two.

_Blaine looked to his left, then his right. Nothing. It was pitch black. Placing his hands out to the side, he felt two walls that felt both sturdy, yet soft under his touch. Moving his hands up along the wall, he felt it slowly come closer the higher it went, and eventually found both of his hands above his head, still touching the surface._

_So, he was in an underground tunnel…_

…_fun._

_Sighing, he made his way forwards. There was nowhere else to go, right? Well, he could go backwards, but every one of his senses was telling him to go forward. That the farther back he went, the darker it would get. The more stuck he would be. So, he went forwards._

_After what felt like hours of walking, he still hadn't hit one turn. He continued to glance around in every direction, keeping both hands outstretched towards the walls. No matter how many times he blinked, no matter how many steps he took, all he could see was pitch black. Hell, if he closed his eyes, it felt brighter._

_But he kept going. Even when he tried to stop, his feet seemed to move on their own. His fingers dragged along the dirt walls that kept him from the light, leaving a small path of dust behind from the upturned earth. His footsteps and heavy breathing were the only things he could hear. The air felt grimy, and tasted, well… tasted of Earth._

_The more he walked, the more Blaine felt himself having to crouch over to fit into the small space that the tunnel provided. By now, he was leaning straight over so that unless he lifted his head, all he'd be able to see (if he could see in the dark, that is) were his feet. He picked his head up, and felt his head hit the roof of the tunnel. Biting his lower lip, he kept his hands on the walls and continued to walk._

_Now, his elbows were pressed up tight against his sides, his hands still on the walls. His head was tucked into his chest as he continued to walk, feeling oddly like a turtle. He wanted to stop walking, to just sit in the dark, but his feet wouldn't let him. And something in him told him that he was getting close, close to whatever it was that he was looking for._

_So he kept walking, no matter how painfully close he got to being forced to just roll his way through the tunnel. It's not as though he had a choice in the matter – no matter how much his brain screamed at him to stop, he couldn't. His hands tried to grip at the walls to hold him back, but all that did was pull more dirt from the walls, causing him to cough, which really was quiet painful in his current position._

_By the time he was able to stop moving, he was walking on his knees, his hands pressed up dangerously close to his head. He felt stuck, and found himself not being able to move any further. Using the strength he had left, he carefully maneuvered his hands forward, laying them on the ground in front of him, falling flat on his face._

_Lifting his head from the dirt, he reached at the ground in front of him, and crawled forward. Now that he had gotten so far, he couldn't stop. He felt his breath coming in raspy breaths, the oxygen level very low where he was. But he kept going. He felt like if he kept going, he would get out. Always the optimistic one, Blaine was._

_After a while of crawling, he felt himself being able to once again take in the air around him. Slowly, he placed his hands beneath his chest, and pushed himself up with the little strength he still had. Surprisingly, his head hit nothing but the air. Looking around, he found it still to be pitch black, so he had no way of knowing the size of the room. Lifting an arm, he flailed it around in the general directions of above him, to his left, and in front of him._

_Nothing._

_Shakily, he got up on his feet, and found himself feeling lightheaded and dizzy from moving too quickly without much air in his lungs. Blinking his eyes, he looked around and felt a small amount of light creep into his eyes. Looking around, however, he wished it hadn't._

_All around him, the ground was stained crimson red. There were small puddles of it scattered around the area. Looking behind him, he saw the tunnel he'd been in also stained. Shakily, he looked down at his own clothing, falling backwards into one of the many puddles in shock when he saw his clothes also stained._

_Everywhere was covered in _blood_._

_Blaine tried to scream, but found no words coming from his mouth. He looked around frantically, eyes wide, and scrambled backwards, only to find himself hitting something sturdy behind him. Expecting it to be a wall, he leaned his head backwards, eyes closed. Unfortunately for him, when he opened his eyes, he saw a pair looking down at his own. Trying to scream again, he jumped up, only to fall forwards, using his hands as support to break the fall._

_Looking behind him, he saw the dark, shadowy creature looking at him, an evil grin marked solely by white on its face. Its eyes appeared to be white dots, like that of a ghost in a cartoon. Blaine felt himself shaking, his wrists giving way under him, causing him to fall to the ground. He tried to crawl forwards, towards a bright light in front of him when he heard a voice calling towards him._

_"Don't go, Blaine. You are I are the same, we are, we are!"_

_The voice didn't sound like any Blaine had ever heard. It sounded like the shadows of many voices, the main one being at such a high pitch that it hurt his ears. He felt a dark hand reach forwards and grab at his ankle, pulling him backwards. Feeling tears slide down his face, Blaine thrashed with the little strength he still had, and looked with eyes that were clouded over by misty tears at the light that he could just _tell_ led him to freedom. He had come so close, and now…_

…_now it felt too far away._

Kurt looked shocked at the boy beside him as a loud scream came from his mouth. Jumping up from his seat, Kurt kneeled down beside the boy as Mercedes stood off to the side, shocked.

"No! Let go, I'm not! Stop it! No!" Blaine screamed, his voice similar to a whimper. Despite him having screamed, it was still quiet. What shocked Kurt was how frightened the boy was. He was shaking, his lip quivering, and his eyes snapped shut. He saw a few tears glide down Blaine's face as he continued to cry out, and all he could do was stroke the boy's curly hair back and whisper words of comfort to him.

"It's okay, Blaine. Come back to me, okay? It's all okay; it's just Kurt and Mercedes. It's-"

_"-Okay, Blaine."_

_Hearing the words come from the light, Blaine's eyes widened more. He gripped his nails into the Earth below him, trying to stop himself from being pulled backwards. But now he had more reason to go towards that light; he knew the voice, he was certain. It sounded so familiar, and he knew it was Kurt the second he said his own name._

_Did that mean they were at the exit of the tunnel? Kurt and Mercedes… sure, he didn't know Mercedes too well, but she seemed nice enough to Kurt. Maybe they were trying to help him… trying to get him out and away from the shadow that was pulling him through the blood-soaked path. Pulling against it with all his force, he only found himself to be pulled back faster. He tried to let out a scream again, but felt nothing come out. His breath was once again being pulled from his body, and he was flipped over only to see the shadow-man's face looming over his own, a grin covering up half his face._

_Blaine tried to scramble backwards, but felt his hands being pinned above his head by an invisible force. He shook his head from side to side, mumbling out things that sounded like 'no', and 'stop' as he struggled. The shadow simply continued to watch him with wide, pure-white eyes and a large, pure-white grin. He saw no teeth in its mouth, and its body was simply black, and morphing in shapes at its own will._

_Blaine tugged at his arms, trying to get them out of the shadow's reach; only to feel a sharp pain suddenly go threw him. He screeched soundlessly yet again, and felt thick liquid ooze down his arms, and knew immediately what it was. Blood._

_Now he rasped for breath, and shakily tried to speak, only to have his mouth open and close a few times repeatedly, struggling to get enough air in his lungs to survive. The next time he looked at the figure above, he felt his face blanch._

_Blood oozed from the figure's eyes and mouth, its grin now going up to the sides of its eyes. Its head was tilted slightly, blood trailing down its face and dripping onto Blaine's own. It dripped down Blaine's face, leaving behind a dark red trail on his skin. His hair suddenly felt damp, and he reached his hands that felt tied up down towards it, feeling a liquid on it. Turning his head shakily back, he saw red staining his hands._

_By now, he was entirely drenched in blood, and this time when he screamed, he knew anyone around could hear him._

* * *

_**A/N: **_Apparently, that nightmare gave my friend a nightmare when I let my other friend read it... well, now I feel evil! :D Anyways, I dunno, I just like writing angst sometimes. So, I decided to make an angsty dream. I really should learn to plot this story out... Well, I know some things that will happen at least.

Anywayyyys

Maiqu - Unfortunately, yes D: Poor bb indeed~ Kills me to see wonderful people hurting themselves D:

Annie24601 - Thanks~ It was just the idea that came to mind when I thought of Mentor!Kurt and Mentee(I think that's the word...)!Blaine

redrosegal - Of course I did, you're a great and awesome help! I'm terrible with spelling and grammer (No idea how I keep getting good grades in English, I'm gonna go with spellcheck), so it's really a great help to have you! Not to mention, you're nice and speedy when fanfiction doesn't explode on you~

- Thanks! And crap, thanks for pointing that out ^^ I'll fix it later, when I can better focus, because I don't trust myself not to delete the entire ending by mistake xDD

Anyways, thanks again everyone~ Really didn't expect all the alerts and reviews I've been getting for my terrible writing and plot skills, but I do appreciate it~

~Josh


	11. Chapter 11 Scream Out

**A/N: **Here we go! Chapter is shorter than I wanted it to be (I'm hoping to start extending the chapter lengths but noooo, this one's SHORTER than normal) but I really wanted to end it where I did. And hehe, I'm happy, I got to write more of the nightmare! *evil grin* God, and people at my school think I'm happy-go-lucky-throwing-up-rainbows xD

Anyways, thanks again to my wonderful beta redrosegal, who keeps on reminding me to stop _reading_ fanfictions and to start working on mine! I was home sick today, so I have nothing to do, and I'll do my best to try and get a second chapter written. If I can, though, I'm not going to upload it today. Redrosegal is going to be for for around 5 days, so I'll upload it during that time frame~ If I can't get it done, well then, sucks for all of you and you have to wait! MWAHAHAHAHA

* * *

A scream filled the chorus room, and both glee members covered their ears to block out the sound. Kurt's eyes widened in panic as he looked at the source of the scream, which had begun thrashing his arms around as he lay across a few chairs. Biting his lower lip, Kurt removed his hands from his ears, and knelt down beside Blaine again, rubbing his head.

"Shh, calm down Blaine, it's okay, please, just wake up, okay?" said Kurt, his voice soothing and gentle.

Blaine stopped screaming, but it seemed more like it was because he was out of breath than because he heard Kurt. He panted, struggling to take in each breath, and sweat had begun dripping down his forehead. His eyes were snapped shut, his entire body shaking. His limbs twitched on occasion, and even after he stopped screaming, small whimpers could still be heard escaping from his lips.

Mercedes looked at the boy, her eyes wide, and hand over her mouth. Sure, she'd seen someone having a rough sleep, but never before had she seen something like this. He reminded her of a frightened two year old cuddled up in his mother's arms.

After a few moments of Kurt comforting Blaine and Mercedes just standing of to the side, quite worried, a new entrance entered the room.

"Porcelain! I heard screaming, and it wasn't caused by me, so I am _not_ happy. What the hell is going on in here?" Kurt looked up to see the one-and-only Sue Sylvester standing at the doorway to the chorus room, a sharp glare on her face.

"It's-… I... you see…" the countertenor had absolutely no explanation. He knew he couldn't lie to the Cheerio's coach (not because he trusted her, but because she completely and utterly frightened him at times) but he didn't really want to tell her the truth either.

"Blaine started screaming in his sleep," Mercedes whispered. Kurt let out a sigh of relief that his best friend was there to answer for him, and he proceeded to brush back the curly, sweat-soaked hair of the boy in front of him as he let out another whimper.

"Well, what in the devil's mind is he even _doing_ here? School doesn't start for another hour, although, I suppose that the chorus room _is_ a good place to sleep… boring, especially when it's filled with your atrocious glee club."

Rolling his eyes at her snide remark, Kurt answered. "We don't know, Mercedes just found him here when she came in for an early practice," he muttered, trying to shake Blaine awake to get some answers not only for Sue, but for himself and Mercedes.

Sue walked fully into the room now, and looked down at Blaine. She raised an eyebrow, and placed her hands on her hips before sighing.

"Kid's got a nasty black eye there." Her voice didn't have the usual harsh edge it normally had when she spoke to anyone. Instead, it sounded rather… _curious_.

"He told me it was from some jocks, but I'm not sure if I believe him…" was all Kurt had to reply with. He shook the boy in front of him again, causing another scream to come from him. Everyone jumped in surprise, and even Sue took a small step back, looking at the boy with wide eyes. Kurt hesitantly began shaking the boy's arm again, biting his lower lip before speaking.

"Blaine? Blaine, stop it, get up! Get-"

* * *

"_-up!"_

_Blaine let out another bone-shattering scream as the shadow above him tugged harshly at his leg, pulling him far back into the tunnel. He was hardly able to hear the voice of Kurt calling him from who-knows where, telling him to get up. He was trying, he was, but he was in too much pain to truly move._

_It was once again dark, but no longer pitch black. Torches lined the walls giving off some light, but Blaine very much wished that they didn't._

_Everywhere seemed to be splattered in blood, but in his mind, that was nothing compared to the shadow pulling him around. It had now morphed to take on the shape of Blaine himself. If it lay on the ground behind Blaine, it truly _could_ be his shadow._

_That is, except for the face. The eyes were pure white, colorless ovals on its face, and its smile could frighten a ghost. It reminded Blaine of those smiles that a psycho murderer would use right before killing someone, which only frightened him more. Only, this was worse. The smile was similar to the eyes – it was solid white._

_His leg ached, and he felt something gripping at his shoulder, only to see the shadow's face right above his own. The grin turned to a frown, which seemed to be just as frightening._

"_Don't you want to be like me, Blaine?" it asked in the same voice it had used before. It seemed to haunt him as though there were thousands of voices behind that voice, the main one a high-pitched voice that sounded like one that would have had to have been edited to go that high. The shadow's head tilted to the side, and squeezed Blaine's shoulder tighter, nails digging into his skin._

_Another scream was let out as he felt blood being drawn from his arm. When the grip released, he looked at his side to see his own blood mixing with the blood surrounding him. He let his head drop back down, panting, desperate for air, eyes closed._

_Next time he opened them, he was in a white room. And when he said white, he really, _really_ meant white. The furniture blended in all too much with the rest of the room. It felt far too two dimensional to be possible – the room was empty of shadows, which Blaine would have thought would have made him feel better. But it didn't._

_It made him feel much more frightened._

_Spotting a mirror on the other side of the room, Blaine bit his lip before getting up off the couch he had been sitting on, and hesitantly made his way over to see how much blood was plastered onto his body._

_To his shock, there was none, but what was there was about one hundred times worse in his mind._

_He had the appearance of the shadow that had been trying to rip him apart earlier. His body was an odd black that felt somehow _darker_ than the color black should be. His eyes were oval-shaped, and looked frightened (it shocked him to see the eyes not hostile, evil looking, but it didn't really help matters much) and his mouth was turned down in a frown._

_The white of his eyes and mouth seemed completely one hundred percent clear of color, and made him feel empty. Looking back at the room, it was still white. Holding up a shadowed hand in front of his face, he moved his fingers a bit, and watched as they moved to his command. That was the last bit of proof he needed to show that this was what he truly was._

_He turned back towards the mirror, and gasped at what he saw. Blood was flooding out from his white mouth and eyes, and no matter what he tried, he couldn't stop the grin on his face. Inside, he was frowning, horrified, but his… body, if that's what you want to call it, seemed to be _happy_ with the blood._

_He let out a soft whisper before collapsing to the floor of the shadow-less, white room that was slowly being flooded crimson-red._

"_Help."_

* * *

"Help."

The soft whisper was heard by all three people in the room, causing them all to draw even more silent (if possible), and lean in towards the boy. He was shaking even more now, and letting out soft whimpers. Kurt stroked his hair back once again before looking at the group behind him, silently asking the question _'what do I do?'_ But no one had an answer.

"Porcelain, what on _earth_ is going on here?" Sue finally spoke up, breaking the silence filled only by Blaine.

"I wish I knew, I really do…" Kurt mumbled, looking back at the boy in front of him. Slowly, the body before him began to stir, its eyes blinking forward. At first, Kurt was filled with relief that the boy was finally awake, but that was until he looked in his eyes.

They were _horrified_, blood-shot, and watery. Kurt gathered up the shorter boy into his arms, letting him cry on his shoulder. Sue looked around the room before walking out and mumbling something about it being 'such a waste of time to worry over kids', and Mercedes just stood off to the side, worry still clear in her eyes.

"You okay, Blaine?" whispered Kurt. Blaine nodded into the other boy's shoulder, letting out another chocked sob before picking his head up. He forced a fake smile on his face, whipping away the tears, and nodded. But Kurt didn't believe it one bit – he had used a mask to hide his true emotions before, and he could sure as hell tell that Blaine was using one now. Especially considering what he had just seen.

"Blaine, you can talk to us, please," begged Mercedes, walking over and kneeling down by the two. Blaine tried to back away from the two, but only succeeded in pushing back the chair was sitting in a few inches before it crashed into another. Panicking, he stood up on the chair, and ran onto the next few, jumping off when he was a foot or so away from both Kurt and Mercedes, and ran out of the room.

Kurt looked at Mercedes, and the two nodded before jumping up off the floor before nodding and running after him, splitting up to cover more grounds.

* * *

Blaine had taken refuge on the other side of the school in a small space between a group of lockers, and a wall. He was curled up tightly in order to fit and clutched onto his knees like they were a life support.

He had run out of the chorus room about ten minutes prior, and had immediately dashed as far away from the group as he could. He didn't want to – no, _couldn't_ – answer the questions that they obviously wanted to ask him. He just couldn't bring himself to speak, let alone speak about something that frightened him so much.

Blaine had always had a fear of slipping away from people's lives, and being forgotten. There were always questions prodding the back of his mind when he was speaking to someone, like _'will they even remember who I am tomorrow?' _and _'do they even _want_ to be here with me?'_

To say he had low self-esteem would be an understatement. Blaine never thought highly of himself, and always felt like he deserved every unfortunate thing thrown his way. Every time his parents didn't notice a new bruise or cut, something in the back of his mind would just tell him that he _deserved_ parents who didn't care for their son. That he deserved to be beat up and ridiculed every day of his life.

And he listened to every word that voice said.

After all, what else did he have to believe? There was never anyone in his life that made him feel special, made him feel _worth_ something. So, he didn't. He didn't feel worth _anything_. He thought that just maybe starting over at a new place would help. And at first, it had. He made good friends with Kurt, and for some time, Kurt made him feel important.

But now he was scared that Kurt would forget about him too.

'_In the dream, Kurt had been calling from the light. That meant he cared, right?'_ Blaine tried to convince himself. But there was a nagging voice in his head telling him otherwise.

'_No, if he cared, he wouldn't have been on the sidelines. He would have gone and helped you.'_

Blaine shook his head, holding back the tears that threatened to fall.

'_No, no, it was just a dream. It didn't mean anything. Nothing. It was Just. A. Dream.'_ And with that in mind, Blaine plastered on his best fake-smile, and made his way towards the Chorus room, hoping Kurt and Mercedes would still be there.

* * *

Kurt sighed, having now checked a majority of the west wing of the school. He pulled out his phone to check for a text from Mercedes.

Nothing.

Sighing, he sent one to her, only to receive a reply within seconds.

'_Find him? –K'_

'_No. Guessin u didnt ethr, WB? – M'_

'_No, I'm going to go check the Chorus Room again. Maybe he came back? Meet me there. – K'_

Kurt walked back to the chorus room, head hung low. What had scarred Blaine so much that he couldn't tell anyone? He was interrupted from his brainstorming when he crashed into someone, and stumbled backwards.

Looking up, he saw he had accidentally knocked the boy he'd been looking for over, and he was laying on the ground letting out a small laugh. Kurt smiled, and walked over to him, holding out a hand.

"You okay, Blaine?" he asked, hoping that he knew that he meant more than just the falling over part. Blaine nodded, and grabbed onto Kurt's hand, pulling himself up. Kurt let out a sigh before pulling out his phone.

"You know, you got us quite freaked out when you just ran out of there when you woke up," he said, sending a text message to Mercedes saying he found him. He looked back up, and saw Blaine's smile flicker away for a second, replaced again before he could even tell if he really saw anything. "You sure everything's okay?"

Blaine merely nodded again, before turning into the chorus room. Kurt raised an eyebrow and fallowed him, watching as Blaine picked up his school bag from underneath a chair, and fixed the seating that he had ruined when he ran.

"You know, Blaine, I _really_ think you should join Glee club," Kurt suggested, not even realizing what he said until he said it. When Blaine turned to him, an eyebrow raised, Kurt continued. "It's just- well, I just think it would be a good place for you. It's a place for people who feel alone, unwanted, the underdogs of McKinley if you please. I think you'd have fun there." He smiled as he said this, and walked over to the shorter boy, pulling him into a hug.

"It will help you fit in, feel wanted."

And how exactly could Blaine say no to that?

* * *

**A/N: **Soo much trouble writing the end of this chapter. I had no idea what to do, so it's really kinda odd. Sorry 'bout that. But it's _really_ easy to loose your train of thought when you're sneezing your brains out and coughing your guts up. Stupid strep D: But, anyways, I shall go get to work on getting chapter 12 done!

And in case you were wondering, the white room in Blaine's dream will play a role in the story later. Not sure WHEN, but it will.*terrible, un-planned author*

redrosegal - Pfft, if my friends saw you calling me sweat they'd think you were CRAZY xD THey all think I'm some psycho maniac who escaped from jail or something like that xD Although, I am much more mellow then they are... sometimes.

Maiqu - not really, more of (as this chapter says) his fears of being forgotten. Remember how he says he felt like a shadow? Thus the shadow. And then it's all bloody because I secretly enjoy writing stuff like that. And I had no idea what to do and such.

Rholou - yes they can! They are maaaagical people! :D

TonyJ - thanks, that was DEFINITELY my favorite part to write xD

Thanks again to anyone who reads and reviews :D I love you all! *supermegahugs for all my supermegafoxyawesomehot readers* ... *and an extra one for redrosegal for bein' extra awesomesauce*  
~Joshua


	12. Chapter 12 First Impretions

**A/B: **Stupid writers block... *headdesk* I really couldn't get more into this chapter than this, I'm sorry D: I'd have just waited and made it longer, but I wanted to get you guys out something before the wonderful redrosegal had to finish her moving and such, and thus leave my story unbeta'd D: But you should all thank her for taking the time out of her busy packing-and-unpacking days to edit this short excuse of a chapter xD I promise, I'll make it up with some wonderful Klaine next chapter :3

* * *

The day went by as quickly as he could have hoped. The short guitar player did his best to stay in the shadows for the day, the dream still haunting over him. He'd managed to avoid any and all of Kurt and Mercedes' questions, even in Spanish were the three sat together. He ate lunch with the glee gang again, laughing when Puck shot a joke about Finn.

Sure, he still hadn't managed to really speak again, but things were still going… okay.

And now it was time for Glee. Kurt had already talked to Mr. Schuester, and the Glee instructor already told Blaine that he didn't have to audition yet if he didn't want to, but when he was feeling up to it, he really should. Making his way towards the chorus room, he really had no idea _what_ to expect. Sure, he'd been in Glee Club a few times before, but he'd never really been… _in_ Glee Club. He'd always just watched from the sidelines.

And now they'd expect him to be up, dancing and singing with them.

And-… oh. They'd be watching him make a complete and utter fool of himself, and likely never speak to him again, and Kurt would laugh at him or hide and call him a complete embarrassment. He'd be a laughing stock, and he knew it.

Blaine. Anderson. Could. Not. Dance.

Well, at least, he didn't _think_ he could. He'd never really _tried_. But as far as he knew, he couldn't dance. He had zero dancing experience what-so-ever, while everyone else in there likely had plenty. He'd never really seen them dance too much (except for Mike Chang, who liked to burst into dancing while the others sang, and he was _brilliant_, which really didn't help), but he figured that seeing as they were in Glee Club, they'd be good.

…Which is why he was stunned when he walked into the room to find everyone laughing at Finn's attempts at dancing. Blaine raised an eyebrow as Mike Chang attempted to show Finn some difficult move, and when Finn tried to mimic it, he stumbled and almost fell into the piano. The group laughed, but it wasn't a _harsh_ laughter… it was a calm, happy, laughter. Blaine smiled, and noticed Finn in the back of the room, whispering to Mercedes.

Seeing the shorter boy out of the corner of his eye, Kurt waved him over, Mercedes looking at him with a smile on her face. Blaine smiled back before shoving his bag under his seat and sitting down. The two divas began catching Blaine up on why Mike was teaching Finn new dance moved every day when Mr. Schuester came in, a large grin on his face.

"Okay, come on guys, take your seats!" The laughter slowly died away as the kids took their seats, all seeming to break away into their miniature cliques and groups within the club. Everyone gave Mr. Schuester there full attention, smiles still on their faces as they thought back at Finn's almost-face-plant into the piano.

"As you can see, we have a new member joining us today!" Everyone's gaze turned back to Blaine, who sunk further down into his seat. Kurt placed a hand on his shoulder, gently patting it. The rest of Glee gave him some form of warm smile or welcome before Mr. Schue continued.

"I know he's been here a few times before, but he's agreed to join us now. So, anyways-" he was interrupted from beginning by – of course – the one-and-only Rachel Berry.

"Um, Mr. Shue?" she asked, her hand in the air, fingers waggling a bit. He sighed before muttering a 'Yes Rachel,' causing her to stand up, and face the group.

"If he's joining, shouldn't he have a _proper_ audition like the rest of us? I mean, I'm glad as _everyone_ that we have a new addition to the New Directions," there was a cough in the background, causing Rachel to glare in the direction of one Noah Puckerman, who ignored her, "but we can't just go around letting _anyone_ join us."

Blaine could hear a few people murmur in agreement, others (including Mercedes) yelling at her to shut up, and did his best to slip completely into his seat.

"Way to go, Berry! You've got the new kid slinking away already!" The shout from someone Blaine recognized to be Santana Lopez. She gave him a sly smile, along with a wink, that just led to Blaine trying to sink away even _more_. What the hell was he doing here?

Looking to his left, he saw an apologetic smiling Kurt, and smiled back, sitting up straight again.

'_Oh yeah,'_ he told himself. _'_That's_ what'_.

"Settle down, settle down!" came Mr. Schuester's voice over the sounds of an arguing class. Sighing in exasperation, he finally got even Rachel to get back into their seats. "Blaine's _not_ going to audition-" argument began to break out again, stopping when the teacher cleared his throat "-just yet. He will when he's ready, okay?"

He didn't have to say more. Everyone in the club knew Blaine was a mute, but it just made it all the more weird to have him in the club. He couldn't talk, so he couldn't sing. So unless he could dance, why was he here?

Kurt stood up now. "Mr. Shue, if I may?"

"Be my best, Kurt," the teacher said with a smile on his face. The countertenor muttered his thanks before walking down to the front of the room.

"Now, I know all of you are probably curious as to why Blaine is here-" many voiced yeses from his fellow Gleeks "-and I can give you the answer to that. I asked him to join, and that's all that there is to it. One day, when he feels more comfortable, he may want to join us in singing and such, but for now, I know he can at least help us out on the guitar, right Blaine?"

The dark-haired boy quickly nodded yes, face growing red because he really wasn't use to people talking about him… well, talking about him and not being _rude_.

"So, I guess that's it. Just help him feel at home, alright?" and with that, Kurt made his way back up to his spot between Mercedes and Blaine. Blaine smiled in thanks to him, softly muttering a quiet 'thanks,' that has Kurt smiling. Mercedes smiled too, having heard the quiet voice, even though no one else did.

'_Hey, he's got a really nice voice when he's not screaming,' _she thought to herself with a smile as she turned his attention back to the front of the room.

"Well, now let's get onto our new assignment!" Rachel sat up a bit at Mr. Schue's words. "I've decided to try something we haven't every really covered much…" at that, _everyone_ sat up a bit more, excited to hear what the week's theme would be.

Pulling something out from behind the piano, the Spanish teacher placed a straw hat on his head, smiling at the group.

"Country!"

* * *

"What do ya say you and me go bribe Finn to sing a Taylor Swift song?" Mercedes asked Kurt as the trio walked out of the Choir room at the end of class, Blaine on Kurt's left and Mercedes on his right.

Kurt frowned. "No deal. I would, in fact, that would be absolutely _amazing_ to see happen, but I spent the rest of my allowance for this month on my new shoes." He stopped walking to show Mercedes a brand new pair of Stacy Adams by raising his tows into the air, his heel digging into the ground. He admired the shoe a bit before he continued walking, Blaine and Mercedes keeping a smooth pace with him. "The old ones had too many slushy stains on them. There are only so many times you can remove that syrup without ruining the leather exterior on shoes," he said, sighing dramatically.

Blaine laughed softly, earning a joking glare from Kurt and a grin from Mercedes. Kurt then linked his arms threw the other two's, the group walking down the hall arm-in-arm.

"So, Blaine, you likin' Glee Club so far?" Mercedes asked him after a moment of silence. The shorter boy turned to her with a smile, and nodded. She smiled back before continuing. "Good. So, you thinkin' you wanna join us for this week's assignment, or are ya gonna sit it out? I'm sure Mr. Schuester wouldn't mind if you didn't do it, I mean, Mike hardly ever does the assignments unless they've got a real good dance beat."

Blaine bit his lip in thought. Did he want to do the assignment? He wasn't that into country… it's not like anything really stood out to him. So much country was about heartbreak, he couldn't really relate to any of it. Making up his mind, he turned to Mercedes with a small smile and shook his head.

"Well, _I_ have the _perfect_ idea for a song!" chimed in Kurt. Mercedes laughed, mumbling an 'of course you do' with a small shake of her head. Blaine chuckled softly at the two, finding their conversations quite amusing. "Oh, you'll see Mercedes, I'll make Rachel's performance seem like last week's McQueen scarf."

"If you say so, white boy. If ya say so…" she said between quiet laughter. With that, the bell rang, and the three began to turn in their separate directions to their last class.

"Oh, wait!" Kurt exclaimed, turning to grab Blaine's wrist. The younger boy flinched at the action, but quickly turned around to face Kurt with a small tilt of his head. The countertenor's face was slightly tinted with a faint blush as he bit his lower lip softly. "Uh, I was just wondering if… if you'd mind coming to the hospital with me to visit my dad today? I mean, I completely understand if you don't want to, it's just I-"

Blaine silenced him, raising his hand. "Of course I'll go," he whispered softly, smiling at the taller boy. "Meet me outside the back door." And with that, Blaine turned and headed to his class, leaving Kurt to just watch him in a complete love-struck faze. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he jumped, clutching his chest when he saw Mercedes.

"Oh, Mercedes… don't do that, you scared me!" he breathed out, causing a laugh from his friend.

"Well, you'd have noticed me if you weren't watchin' that man of yours!" she said, causing Kurt's face to blush. "I swear, boy, if you don't ask him out soon, I may just lock you two in a closet until something happens!"

"I do believe you're beginning to turn into Santana a bit," he joked, grabbing his friend's arm, and looping his own into it. "Come on, I do believe you have American History next?" he asked with a smirk. She just laughed, and nodded.

"Of course you know my schedule. Now get your butt over to English before I drag you there!" The two laughed, waving to each other as they parted ways.

* * *

**A/N: **Looky, looky, Blaine speaks words! And tehre is kind of a pattern of when he speaks... Not like, where in the chapter, but... ahh, you'll see soon enough. Kurt's smart, he'll bring it up at the hospital.

So, the song Kurt's going to sing. My friend actually had to find one for me, and I'm now completely in love with it. I can just see Kurt singing it for some reason... not sure why. It's a _really_ good song though, and I'm going to continue to taunt you by telling you how epic it is and _not_ telling you the song! But ya, I'm not a big country music person... but my friend is. So, she's in charge of _all _the music for that chapter. Hell, I'm not a very musicaly-inclined person, so I only know a little bit of music (well, a little compared to how much she is), so she is now my music consultant xD

Anyways, next chapter, to the Hospital! I feel I have been neglecting the fact that Burt's been in the hospital... Kurt's been acting happy-happy-joy-joy... to be honest, it's because I keep forgetting Burt's in the hospital and the timeframe I'm currently at. I almost put Sam in this chapter, then remembered "Oh ya... he's not in Glee yet..." and headdesked for the 900th time while writing this chapter.

dadiva18-Aww, that really means a lot! Thanks for your support~ I'll try and update faster from now on, I've been pretty sucky about that... heh...

redrosegal-YOU ARE EPICLY LOVED, how's that? :D And I told my friends, and one of them said "You're nice... when you're not mean... which is hardly ever..." xD

Annie24601-Thanks :3 I think I'm getting over my mix of illnesses. And yes, I love that nickname xD I wish he'd gone with Tickle-me-dough-face though xD And yes, Blaine does need to open up more... Kurt's like, an open book to him! Why can't Blaine be? D: Why am I asking you questions about my writing? I'm so confused...

Maiqu-SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE, SUE WAS WORRIED, RUN!

TonyJ-Thanks :D

PaigeTurner.x-Thanks :D And if it makes you feel better, I'm **almost **14, and tend to be more advanced in things than most people my age (according to my teachers, but I still don't believe them...)

Tori Sohma-Seriously Tori? That's kinda frightening xD Maybe I tapped into your mind while I wrote it o3o You and me do have a kind of physic link sometimes xDD

AweSoMeLAgain-Thanks! And I've helped out a few friends with self harm, so I kind of took the emotions they told me about it and mixed them into one, trying to make them fit Blaine. I've never met anyone who was bulimic though - I'm glad to hear you're able to talk about it though, that is something I feel is really important, being able to share your experience about it to others. And don't worry, I have a similar problem - all my thoughts just, come out without me even noticing it a lot.

- Thanks! :DD And as you can likely tell now, just sittin' out for now... FOR NOW. I really do want to get him in there singing, but I have a good idea for his audition. I just need Burt good and out of the hospital first (I plan on him waking up soon), and to learn a bit more about Blaine first. Get him to speak more than a few sentances at a time, and make his voice less hoarse and more used. 

Well, anyways, long weekend this weekend! I think I'm partially busy during it, but I know by fact that redrosegal wants me to get a chapter to her by... Friday I believe, so we should have something up this weekend that will hopefully be acceptable! Again, _really_ sorry this was only... 1,854 words. I wanted it to be longer, really, but... I'm lazy D:

~Joshua


	13. Chapter 13 Hospital Visits

**A/N:** There, done... I spent around 2-3 hours straight writing this last night, and now my project is very late, so you'd all better be happy! Anyways, thanks to the _always_ awesome redrosegal for staying up late to beta this even though she had A) Her own wonderful story to work on(which you should all check out, just sayin') and B) to get ready to ship out and moveee. So thank you once again for being MADE OF EPICSAUCE!

* * *

A smile plastered on his face, Kurt stared at the board his English teacher had been writing down grammatical rules on for the past twenty minutes, expecting the class to copy them into their notebooks. But if one was to look at Kurt's notebook, they'd notice that he hadn't been paying attention to class at _all._

Inside his black leather-bound notebook was a doodle of a heart with an arrow going threw it drawn in red pen. On the inside of the heart, Kurt was polishing up the neatly written letters of his name, a plus sign, and Blaine's name.

His head rested precariously in his hand as he continued to doodle, waiting the last ten minutes for class to end. Oh yes, he was completely head over heels for Blaine, and he hardly even knew the kid. Sighing, he had to admit to himself right then and there that he fell too fast, too hard. This was becoming Finn all over again… only, Blaine was actually gay, and he wasn't really being _stalker-ish _with him like he had been with Finn… but still.

Closing up the notebook with a sigh, he turned to watch the clock, as though that would make it go faster. Now, Kurt wasn't one to pay no attention in class… but he had an excuse this time. First of all, he'd been having trouble paying attention in class anyways, worry about his father consuming his mind. And secondly, _Blaine _was coming with him to the hospital this time. _Blaine_, the boy Kurt had completely fallen for.

Taping his fingers against the leather covering, he turned to biting his lip, watching the second hand move.

_Tic._

_Tock._

_Tic._

And… he was bored. And still had another four minutes left at that. '_What to do, what to do…'_he thought to himself, his fingers picking up in pace on their tapping. The girl next to him shot a sharp glare at him, disturbed by the noise. Kurt just rolled his eyes, but stopped the tapping. With a small groan, he laid his head down on his books, and rested his eyes as he waited.

Finally, the bell rang, causing Kurt to quickly throw his few books into his bag, sling it over his shoulder and bolting out towards the door. Reaching the back door, he leaned against the wall, trying to hide as best as he could from the passing by jocks. And the heavens (not that he believed in them…) must have been on his side, for he had managed to hide in the shadows. Letting out a breath of relief, he smiled as he saw a short figure make his way up towards him, a smile plastered on his face.

"Hey Blaine!" greeted Kurt, waving his fingers at the boy. Blaine laughed lightly at the oh-so-Kurt wave, and made his way over towards the boy at a slightly quicker pace. He smiled at the countertenor in greeting, waving at him gently as he stopped in front of him. By now, the school was mostly cleared out, except for the few that were hanging back to talk outside their lockers. Looking around, Kurt grabbed Blaine's arm, and pulled him outside.

"Thanks a lot for coming with me, Blaine," Kurt said, the corner of his mouth flicking up into a slightly larger smile. Blaine just grinned back, and looked down at where Kurt was still holding onto his arm, blushing lightly before looking back up at the countertenor who had turned back around and had slowed down the pace as they neared the black navigator.

Releasing Blaine's arm from his grip, he made his way towards the front seat of the car, Blaine to the passenger seat. When they got in the car, the two smiled at each other before Kurt turned on the car and Blaine simultaneously turned on the radio. They both listened to the radio in silence, Kurt driving down the now familiar road to St. Rita's hospital.

Half way there, they stopped at a traffic light, and Kurt turned towards Blaine, turning down the volume of the car radio.

"Blaine?" Looking over from where he was looking out the window, Blaine let out a small 'hmph?', and looked at the boy. "I was just wondering… why is it you never talk at school, or around anyone else but me?"

At that, Blaine bit his lip, and looked out the window. "I… I guess I just feel more comfortable talking around you," he mumbled, not even sure if Kurt could hear him. Sighing, he elaborated a bit. "Before I met you, there was never really… anyone around to help me out. I mean, sure, there was one other gay kid at my old school, but… he didn't talk to me. If we'd talked to each other, we'd have been ridiculed for it even more… so, I guess, I just feel… safer around you than anyone else, for showing me that not everyone is like that."

Kurt was sure that tears were silently rolling down his face as he smiled gently at Blaine now. Turning forward, he saw that the light was green, and continued heading down the familiar roads.

"Well, you deserve to be treated like a normal person. _Everyone _does," Kurt said, casting a small smile in Blaine's direction before turning forwards again. "It's not right for you to have felt like you had no one to talk to. I hope you'll be able to see that everyone in New Directions really does want you to be able to join us in discussions and song choices and singing… but if you're not ready, that's fine and I'm sure everyone else understands too. We're all here for you, and just want you to feel comfortable and be at home with us, okay? We're all a family in there… well; we sure do fight like one."

Blaine was now speechless (not that he talked much anyways, but still). Never before had he really been told that he was part of a family other than his very dysfunctional one. And now, here he was, being told that a glee club he had hardly been a part of considered him family. To say he was shocked would be an understatement.

Pulling into the parking lot of the hospital, the two got out simultaneously, a comfortable silence falling over them until they reached the doors, when Blaine finally spoke up again. "Thank you, Kurt." His voice was a quiet whisper, but Kurt smiled when he heard the words, and grabbed onto the other boy's hand, pulling him in.

"C'mon, my dad's room is just this way," he mumbled in a quiet voice. Every time he entered the hospital, reality seemed to dawn upon him once again – his father really_was_in the hospital, and he couldn't do anything to help. Sure, he'd hired an acupuncturist, but not even_that_was doing anything. He felt so useless…

A small squeeze on his hand snapped him out of his reverie, turning to face the boy who was still holding his hand. Smiling, Kurt nodded before realizing that he had stopped in front of his father's door. Taking a deep breath, he turned the knob on the door and let himself in.

"Hi dad," he said, knowing full well that his father likely couldn't hear him in his coma. "This is Blaine. Remember, I was talking to you about him that one time?" Blushing slightly at admitting to his crush that he'd told his father about him, he continued. "He said that he would come with me to visit you. He doesn't talk much, but he's really good company." At that, the countertenor lightly elbowed the shorter boy, pulling him over to the few seats by Burt's bed.

"Kurt?"

Said boy turned quickly to his side, to see Blaine still standing, looking down at Kurt with a sad smile. "I just wanted to say… I'm really sorry."

Okay, _now _Kurt was confused. Why was Blaine sorry? He'd come here with him, hadn't he? Come to a dreary hospital with him just to visit his comatose father, whom he had never met. And he was _apologizing_? Well, that made no sense at all. Raising an eyebrow, Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when Blaine continued.

"It's just… you were going through such a hard time… and I was ignoring you." Blaine's face was filled with a clear sorrow. "I just… let you suffer. I mean, sure, you had the rest of Glee Club… but I just… I feel _terrible _about what I did to you, Kurt. And here you are, being all nice to me like I didn't do anything… but, I _know _I did… and it was stupid of me. And I'm so, _so _sorry."

Now it was Kurt's turn to be speechless, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Blaine just avoided his glance, not wanting to hear Kurt say that he had been stupid with his actions, and that he never wanted to speak to him again.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." At that, Blaine's gaze shot straight up to Kurt's, who was simply smiling warmly at the other. "You were scared, I get that. I'm just glad you came back." Those words couldn't have been more true to Kurt. He couldn't be angry at the other boy, it was impossible. He was just so, so thankful that he had decided to meet up with him again. Reaching a hand out, Kurt stood up and placed it on Blaine's shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. "You really don't have to be sorry. You're here now, and that's what matters."

At that, Blaine pulled Kurt into a tight hug, holding onto him tightly. A few tears strolled down each of their faces, both holding onto the other tightly. After a minute of just holding onto one another, Blaine finally muttered something into Kurt's ear.

"I don't know what I'd do without you…"

Kurt smiled at those words, and continued holding onto the other, not knowing how deep those words really were. Blaine really _wouldn't _know what to do without Kurt. Kurt was the only thing that kept him going right now. Ever since the nightmare he had had, something as simple as the color white filled Blaine with a sharp sense of fear. He doubted he'd be able to be in the dark anymore, and hell, he had to check back on his shadow every few second to make sure it didn't grow a devious white grin.

But Kurt made all those fears worth living through.

Because Kurt accepted Blaine for _Blaine_, and was there for him no matter what. He stood beside him, and was a light that shined down on what felt like such a darkened soul within his own chest. He made Blaine feel safe, feel comforted, feel…

…feel _loved,_ an emotion he couldn't say anyone had ever really expressed towards him before.

And now, pulling back from the hug to look into Kurt's eyes with a soft smile, Blaine knew that Kurt really was someone that cared about him. And knowing that, he knew he wouldn't let go of Kurt for anything.

* * *

A half hour later, the two boys walked out of the hospital, Kurt holding onto himself for comfort. Frowning, Blaine reached over to place a comforting hand on the other boy's shoulder. About two minutes after the boys had broken apart, Burt's doctor had come in to tell Kurt that there was no improvement, but nothing worse had happened either.

All that did was remind Kurt of why they were really there – his father. And after all this time, his father _still _showed no signs of improvement. No one knew when – or, dare he say it, _if_– his father would wake up. And he was scared.

When he had begun to shake, Blaine suggested they go back to Kurt's to watch a movie or something, to which Kurt (somewhat reluctantly) agreed, only doing so because he really didn't want to pass up on an offer to watch a movie with Blaine on his couch. Hoping for some better news on Burt when he came back the next day, he got into the car with Blaine, Blaine having offered to drive home seeing as Kurt was so shaken up.

Putting his address into the hardly-used GPS, Kurt lay back in his seat, letting the sounds of the radio rush over him when he heard a soft voice joining in with the voice on the radio.

"_You gotta help me out_

_It's all a blur last night_

_We need a taxi 'cause you're hung over and I'm broke"_

Kurt turned to smile at Blaine as the boy sung softly under his breath, the countertenor hardly able to make out the words he was saying over the voice of Katy Perry. Even the soft voice sounded so confident and strong as it sang, and slowly grew stronger as he continued.

_"Don't be a baby_

_Remember what you told me_

_Shut up and put your money where your mouth is_

_That's what you get for waking up in Vegas_

_Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now_

_That's what you get for waking up in Vegas"_

Kurt smiled as Blaine began happily singing along at a normal volume to the radio. _Man _could the boy sing. If he hadn't captured his heart now, he sure as hell had now. Grinning ear to ear, he joined in with Blaine for the last verse.

"_That's what you get baby_

_Shake the glitter_

_Shake shake shake the glitter_

_Get me some cash out baby_

_Get me some cash out baby"_

As the music faded out, Kurt turned off the radio, and continued grinning at Blaine.

"Wow… just…_wow_. You're really,_really_, good Blaine. Why didn't you tell me you could sing like this?" he asked, shock clear in his voice. Sure, with a voice like Blaine's he'd expected the boy to be able to sing, but this was just…_wow_.

Blaine chuckled lightly before responding. "I never really thought myself to be that good, I guess."_'And after being ridiculed about it so much, who could blame me?'_he added silently, to himself. But luckily, Kurt didn't seem to notice the bit of pain flashing threw the boy's eyes as he kept his gazed locked on the road.

"Well, you're _really _good, Blaine, and let me just say when you get your courage up, New Directions will be _extremely _glad to have someone as talented as you." Blaine felt a small smile tug at his lips at those words. It felt good to be complemented…

"And who knows, maybe you'll even be able to beat Finn for some of the lead spots," Kurt joked, laughing lightly. Blaine laughed too, pulling into the driveway of the Hummel residence, turning off the car and handing the keys back to Kurt. Pulling their bags out of the car, the two boys walked up towards the front door.

"So, you mind watching a Disney movie? I've been _dying _to watch The Little Mermaid again… I haven't seen it for _years_." Blaine turned to Kurt and smiled sheepishly, causing Kurt to blush. "Okay, laugh at me, yes; I still love Disney Princess movies."

At that, Blaine did laugh before muttering a quiet "me too," his voice mostly used up after talking more than he had in the past five months in one simple hour. Smiling, Kurt told Blaine to take a seat on the couch while he made some popcorn and got the movie.

Left alone, Blaine looked around the room. The last time he'd been here, he hadn't really been in a… good state. But now, he was able to truly look around at the place surrounding him.

Pictures lined the walls, mostly ones of Kurt or Kurt and his dad. Above the fireplace held a photo of Kurt sitting in a grass as a young child with a woman who had lovely chestnut colored, long, flowing hair. Blaine guessed she was Kurt's mother. A soft smile tugged at his lips again as he looked at how similar the young parent was to her child.

Returning to the room, Kurt saw Blaine smiling at the photo of him and his mom. Placing the popcorn down on the table, Kurt looked at the picture for a second too before speaking.

"That photo was taken when I was six, just a few months before my mom was diagnosed with cancer," he informed him with a sad smile. "We were at the park just a few miles down from here; my dad took the picture. She… she died about two years later."

Pulling Kurt into another hug, Blaine wondered why on Earth everything this boy cared about seemed to be slipping away from him. First his mother died when he was at such a young age, now his father's heart attack… And with that thought, he promised he would never leave Kurt unless the boy wanted him to, not wanting to leave the boy all alone.

As the movie started, Blaine let go of the boy, already feeling slightly tired due to having little sleep the night before. Yawning, he looked at the clock – four twenty-seven. Not that he had a time to be home by or anything, of course…

Blaine leaned back against the couch, Kurt doing so right beside him, their bodies almost touching. Kurt looked over at him and smiled as he yawned for a second time.

"You know, if you're tired, you can go to sleep if you want. It's not healthy to lose sleep – not to mention, doesn't help your skin much, and gives you some pretty nasty bags," Kurt told him. Blaine just nodded, closing his eyes, listening as the dialogue from one of his favorite movies flooded into his mind.

Not long later, Blaine fell asleep. After watching the boy sleep for a few minutes, Kurt turned off the television, curling up to Blaine's side, and deciding to take a nap with him. Letting out a deep sigh, Kurt wondered how he was to be so lucky as to have such a wonderful friend.

* * *

**A/N:** Haha... I had to use the heart thing from the Valentine's Day episode. I don't know why, I just really felt the need to...

So, crappy chapter is crappy, yes? Well, I'm a lazy person, and thus it shows in my writting. Hopefully the next one will be better... I'll do my best e.e

Also, HOLY WIZARD GOD, 94 reviews? o3o *shocked and speechless* I honestly just realized this when I went to go reply to all of them for the last chapter. And so thank you to everyone, for I never expected this story to be so popular... SO HUGS, COOKIES, AND KLISSES TO EVERYONE 3

Ooh, and anyone see the Season Finale yet? *dies* That was just too epic. I must say, I do like Rachel x Kurt friendship... rivalry friendship, but still friendship xD

redrosegal-My friends are true when they call me evil, for I have tried to eat them on multiple occasions xD And I will be sure to get you a chapter by Friday then!

Tori Sohma-FIX YO AUTOSPELL, WOMAN! You know you can turn that off, right? I'll show you this weekend(we're still on, right?). Anyways, gracies mis amiga!

Tony J-Thanks~

Hazy84-Thanks :3 I doubt it lived up to expectactions though, kinda a bland chapter filled with sobs and sorry's xD

Annie24601-Most people aren't as open as Kurt, but ahh well, that's just part of what makes him so awesome! And I would personally laugh if anyone got me a recording of Cory Monteith(Finn) singing Taylor Swift xD I honestly can't imagine how that would sound, but it would be so hilarious xD

gotzsomethingtosay-Thank you! :D Also, no, I had absolutely no idea, and when I found out, my friend and I started laughing really hard and she called my psychic xD But it's a wonderful song and they did awesome with it, so I'm glad it was on the show! :D

Thanks again to everyone!

~Joshua 


	14. Chapter 14 Fix You

**A/N: **Woot! I actually got this done last night, and part of chapter 15! I feel proud of myself. Anyways, thanks to the always wonderful redrosegal for staying up until 2AM (or, 2 am my time, similar there at the least) to beta this and make it make more sense, rather than my endless rambling. Anyways, I think that this chapter is what really draws the story into the main plot. Not much happens in it, it's kind of like an informative chapter. But a bit more back story of Blaine, yes yes? Always fun!

* * *

Slowly blinking his eyes open, Blaine looked around the room, trying to remember where he was, when everything that happened earlier in the day flashed back threw his mind.

_Glee club. Kurt's dad. Hospital. Kurt. Crying. Mom._

As the last thought dawned upon him, the short tenor looked up at the photos above the fireplace, focusing on the picture of Kurt and his mother at the park. Kurt looked so happy and at ease in the picture… the young boy hadn't even known that his world would start falling apart in just a few months.

Sighing, Blaine rolled his neck a bit before noticing the slight weight against his shoulder. Looking to his right, he discovered a sleeping Kurt cuddled up closely to him, his head rested on the shorter boy's shoulder. Smiling slightly, Blaine let his mind wonder to whether it would be better to wake up the boy or just return to sleep.

Before he could decide, however, he heard a small grumble coming from the sleeping boy's mouth as he slowly began to fidget in his sleep. After a moment or so of mumbling incoherent speech, the countertenor began to stir from his sleep, stretching a bit as he did so.

"Hi," he mumbled tiredly when his eyes opened to see Blaine. "Mm, did we fall asleep?" A small yawn escaped his lips as he asked the question, causing Blaine to chuckle lightly and nod at the question. Adjusting his eyes to the dim light, Kurt turned to face a clock.

"Oh shoot, it's ten. You should probably head home before your parents start to worry," Kurt rambled. It wasn't that he didn't want Blaine to stay – of course he did – it was just that he didn't want him getting trouble on his account. Speaking of which… did Blaine ever even tell his parents he wasn't going home?

Turning his head, about to ask the boy that question, he noticed the slightly panicked look in Blaine's eyes when he mentioned his parents. All earlier ideas of his parents beating him popped back into his mind, causing Kurt to shutter in fear for the older boy.

"Is everything alright, Blaine? Did you even tell your parents you were coming out with me?" Kurt asked, worriedly. Blaine simply bit his lip, and nodded.

"Hmm… I'm fine," he mumbled. "And my parents went out of town this morning… Would you-" Blaine started, before taking a deep breath and continuing, "would you mind if I stayed here for the night? It would just be for tonight…"

Now, Blaine wasn't normally one to lie. But he didn't want Kurt to worry about him. And he really, _really_ didn't want to go home right now. If he was correct, which he likely was, his parents would be having another fight about him right now, and that wasn't something he could deal with right now. He felt like he would just break any second. And breaking wasn't something he wanted to do.

Kurt just looked at Blaine suspiciously before nodding. "Of course you can stay. Do you want to get home and get some of your stuff, or just borrow some of mine? I mean, we have your book bag and everything, so you're set for school and everything… oh Gaga, I'm rambling again aren't I?" Blaine chuckled lightly with a small nod. "Feel free to hit me on the head next time I do that… just don't mess up my hair," he added the last part as an afterthought, grinning as Blaine continued to chuckle and nod.

"If it'd be alright, could I just borrow your stuff?" asked Blaine, returning to the main topic of discussion. He _really_ didn't want to go home until he couldn't avoid it any longer. Kurt simply nodded, and let out another yawn.

"Here, I'll go get you something to change into, be right back." And with that, Blaine watched Kurt walk down the hallway, a slight skip in the boy's step. After all, who _wouldn't_ be glad that his crush was staying over?

But even if he wasn't crushing on Blaine, it was a relief to not have to spend another night alone at his house. Sure, Carole had spent plenty of time here, trying to help out Kurt… but, it just wasn't the same.

Carole was great, yes, but… she thought of her more as his dad's girlfriend than as he mother. He really didn't have any close relations to her. And she'd always returned home every night to her house with Finn, leaving him alone with only his thoughts.

But tonight things would be different. Blaine would be here with him. Quickly changing into a pair of silk blue pajamas, he grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a McKinley Football shirt that he still had from when he was on the team. Holding the items of clothing in his hands, he made his way down the hallway, stopping when he heard a faint sniffle.

Peeking his head around the corner, Kurt quickly found the source of the sounds of quiet crying. Blaine was standing now, looking at a small wall of photos of Kurt and his family. There were pictures of him and his father, his grandparents, even a few of his aunts and uncles there. But Kurt wasn't looking at them.

All he saw was the short boy with the unruly, curly mass of hair on his head that was now breaking away from the plaster of hair gel, quietly crying as he looked at the pictures of his best – and pretty much only – friend's family.

Dropping the clothing on the couch, Kurt walked up behind Blaine, wrapping his arms around the boy in a friendly gesture. Blaine spun around in shock, tensing slightly, but relaxing when he saw it was Kurt. When Kurt let him go, he quickly whipped his eyes and brushed his hand across the base of his nose, sniffling again.

"Sorry…" he mumbled. He didn't even try to hide the emotions that were leaking out of him now – he was upset; upset that he didn't have a family who cared for him. He was jealous; jealous that Kurt _did_. He was lonely; lonely because he only had one person he could trust. He was angry; angry at himself for letting his walls come down to the one person that actually cared about him in any way, shape or form.

What the hell would Kurt think of him now?

But despite thinking that he would tell him to get out of his house for being such an emotional wreck, Kurt just wrapped his arms around the boy in a tight hug, a small, sad smile on his face.

"It's okay to cry you know, Blaine," he whispered as Blaine began to sob into the boy's silk shirt. "And if you want to talk, I'm here. But don't feel like you have to."

Blaine openly sobbed in Kurt's arms now, just letting his emotions rush out of him. He knew he'd pay for this with a pound of questions from the younger boy later, but right now, he was just glad to have somebody to hold him; somebody to care for him. It felt… _nice_.

* * *

"_Hey, hobbit!" Blaine's head snapped from trying to locate his math book from the depths of his locker to the voice that called him from down the hall. His eyes widened when he saw the smirking face down the hall of the football quarterback._

"_Stop fawning over me, you stupid fag!" came the growl before he took a few more steps forward and slammed Blaine back into his locker, causing a small whimper to escape his lips. "I came to give you something, so don't you dare go off trying to eye-fuck me or something! You're just disgusting!"_

_Knowing there was no point in arguing with the jock; Blaine just tilted his head in confusion now. Give him something? What, another shove into the lockers, a punch in the face, what? Bracing himself for the upcoming blow, Blaine didn't expect what _did _happen._

_Having pulled himself into a tight ball, Blaine couldn't move his hands fast enough to catch the math book as it fell down straight onto the top of his head, causing the boy to black out for a few seconds. When he came to, the quarterback – James – was just laughing at him, a few more of his teammates having come and joined in on the laughter._

_Blaine's math book lay open next to him, a few of the pages having been bent from the impact on the ground. Groaning in pain, the small boy grabbed onto his book and stayed where he was, waiting for the crowd to leave when they got bored, as they always did._

_Receiving a hard kick to his foot that caused it to twist slightly, Blaine looked up to see James looking at him with a sharp, hateful glare._

"_Don't think that just because you won't talk that anyone here is going to give you any more state of mind than they already do!" he barked out. "No one cares for you or any of your queer buddies! Hell, we're _glad _you can't talk, because now we don't have to hear you endlessly going on about how sexy you think we are or something! Just get the hell out of this school; no one wants you, and no one ever will!"_

_And with that, he and his group of followers strode away, some of them occasionally turning around to cast sharp glares in Blaine's direction. Slinking up further into a ball, Blaine didn't even notice when the class bell rang._

_Nor when the next one did._

_Not even when the last bell of the day rang, dismissing everyone._

_He just sat where he was, ignoring everyone who walked by him or shot hateful words at him. He knew the truth behind James' words, and they stung more than the bump on his head, or the twist in his ankle._

_His parents didn't want him. They'd made that clear many times now. He was just a nuisance to them, causing more problems than he was worth. They'd get rid of him in an instant if it didn't ruin their reputation. So instead, they just ignored him, only paying attention to him in the public eye. No, they didn't want him at all, of that he was sure._

_No guy would ever want him. Just the thought of some faceless guy holding his hand down a hallway was too hard for Blaine to conjure up in imagination. Why would anyone want someone like him? He was mute, he was full of problems, not to mention, he had nothing to give to anyone. No, he'd never meet that 'special person' that everyone dreams of meeting. He'd be alone for the rest of his life._

_'No one wants you, and no one ever will!'_

* * *

Hearing the boy in his arms whimper slightly, Kurt pulled back from the hug to see Blaine's eyes slightly glazed over. He remembered this look – Blaine was having another flashback.

"Blaine? Blaine, it's all right, look at me. Please, look at me. You're not there, you're here, please, just tell me what happened." Kurt continued to plead with the boy for another minute before he finally blinked his eyes, and looked into Kurt's.

"S-sorry…" he mumbled, but took a small step away from the boy. Kurt's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Wouldn't the boy _want _comfort after the flashback? Not space? Last time he'd been pretty much sobbing into Kurt's shoulder the entire night. And now, he was avoiding the smallest touch.

"Blaine?" he asked, afraid of scaring the boy off. The one question that kept racing threw his mind was what was wrong with the boy, what had made him so scared, but he was too afraid to ask the boy right now in fears of him just running out, not wanting to answer the likely personal question that would reveal more about his troubled past.

"Why?" was all that came from his mouth. Blaine looked up at Kurt, eyes wide, the question repeating in his eyes. _'Why?'_

"Wh-why what?" asked Kurt, completely surprised by the question. Kurt didn't do anything… did he? He was came in on the boy crying, and held onto him when he got the sudden flashback. Had he done something wrong? _'Oh, crap,'_ thought Kurt. _'Is he going to hate me for something? I just got him back and I can't lose him again…'_

"Why… why don't you think I'm stupid? Weird? Problematic? After everything you've learned about me… you're still here," Blaine muttered quietly after a moment of silence. He held his gaze with Kurt's, not letting it waver for a second. His voice was stronger than the usual hoarse sound it usually was, as though his voice was finally beginning to come back to him.

But Kurt didn't notice any of that. His mouth had dropped open in shock. Did Blaine really think he was that shallow as to made decisions on his past? Hell, he had a crush on one of his bullies, why would he hate Blaine for being bullied and having a troubled past? Not even bothering to respond, Kurt pulled Blaine into another tight hug.

"Because you aren't those things. You're you – Blaine Anderson. And I think you're great the way you are," he muttered, smiling as he spoke those entirely oh-so-true words. In his eyes, Blaine really _was_ perfect. He was smart, courageous, _handsome_, _sexy_… _"Okay, Kurt, can't you stop your hormones for like, one heartfelt moment? Please?"_

Pulling back from the hug, Blaine looked straight into Kurt's eyes, not saying a thing. His expression spoke for him – he didn't believe Kurt. He still felt broken, odd, like a problematic misfit.

And Kurt knew he needed to fix him.

"C'mon, Blaine, let's get ready for bed," he smiled, picking the clothing up off the couch and placing it in Blaine's outstretched hands. "And remember; courage. I know you have it, you just have to let it loose."

After leading Blaine to the guest room to get ready for bed, Kurt made his way to his own room, and crawled under his blankets after doing his little amount of Spanish and math homework. But sleep didn't dawn on him immediately. One mantra kept repeating over and over in his head until over an hour later when he finally fell asleep.

'_I have to fix him. I have to fix him. I have to fix him.'_

* * *

**A/N:** Well, there we go. Also kind of short... but next chapter should be looooonger. I'll do my best. But I think that I'm really being able to get back into the mood of me not even paying attention to what I'm writing, just letting the words come out. I got this done in two hours WITHOUT the nagging of redrosegal, which normally it takes me a good 5 hours even with her reminding me not to get distracted. So let's hope that means I can get better at updating sooner :3

But, god, I have over 100 reviews? I love you guys! You're epicsauce. Have a cookie(except for Tori) *hands cookies*

TonyJ - Thank you :3

Annie24601 - Ya, it likely would unfortunately... like the story said, he just feels more comfortable around Kurt, it's easier for him to be around him. But one day, he may be able to pluck up the courage and sing about all of his love for Kurt in front of the whole glee club! Throw flowers at him and everything! Heh... okay, so maybe not _that_, but still!

redrosegal - What can I say - I'm a frightening cannibal.

calendarpages - Thanks :3 And ya, it is... I feel like I'm getting soo out of character with them, and I'm not sure if I'm taking it too far and such. I mean, I try to keep things the same about them both (i.e. Blaine sings Katy Perry, and they still play teenage dream and such), but I feel like I'm pulling them too far away from their cannon selves sometimes. And ya, spelling and grammar... unfortunately not my strong points. Heh heh. But yes! Romance! *swoon* Wonderful, wonderful romance! That will come into play... eventually... some point in time. I don't really know what's going to happen, but romance is wonderful wonderfulness!

HPFanFicLuvr - Why thank you! And no, I have not read that, but now I have to! *loves Harry Potter/Glee crossovers* It was just the first movie that came to mind, Disney-wise, because of - yes - Darren's obsession with Disney, and my _own_ obsession with Disney xD

rholou - They are too adorable for their own good.

PCJC24 - Blaine's such an epic singer, their mouths will DROP and they will yell at him for hidding such a tallented voice and Rachel will faint and say he's too epic and their will be a Blaine Anderson Sex Riot! Oh, wait? No. That's just my dreams. Never mind... But ya, they'll likely be pretty shocked. But that's just how epic Blaine is! :D

G Runz With Skizzers - Well, here is another chapter now! :D Thanks for the support~

Tori Sohma - You have a face.

Supermegafoxyawesomehot7 - ..heh heh heh. I like you. *hands some redvines*

Well, now I have to go outside in the rain[Tori: IT'S NOT RAINING] fine, DRIZZLE to help my friend with a project. So, I shall try and get chapter 15 written over this long weekend, but I also have my OWN project to work on after this, which I am very far behind on (AKA, I haven't started and 3 parts were already due). So, I'll do my best, but no promises!

~Joshua


	15. Chapter 15 Questions

**A/N:** Hey, look, I actually got another chapter done this weekend~ Maaagic! It may be short, but it has words, so I'm happy. Anyways, I'm starting to get writers block for this story. So, if anyone has any suggestions on what I should do in here, feel free to tell me, because I'm really drawing a blank.

BUT ANYWAYS! This chapter's mostly just an insight into Kurt and Blaine's minds. Somewhat boring... kinda filler-y. But I wanted to put it in, so I did.

And once again, you should all thank redrosegal for reminding me that I had to do this. Otherwise I would've forgotten, and likely left this word document open for like, a week before actually _doing_ anything on it like I use to.

Enjoy~

* * *

Kurt woke up in the morning, a small frown on his face as he remembered the conclusion he had come up with last night. He had to fix Blaine. There had to be some way, somehow, for the boy to fully open up to him. He didn't know how, but he had to.

Stretching his arms up above his head with a short yawn, he made his way across the hall to the spare bedroom he had sent Blaine to sleep in last night. When he walked in, he expected to see Blaine still sleeping peacefully in bed, seeing as Kurt always tended to be first up in his house (it was currently around five-thirty AM). However, Blaine was sitting back against the headboard, flipping through the pages of _Pride and Prejudice_, the book his English class had been assigned to read.

"Well, good morning, Blaine," said Kurt, a smile on his face as he sat down at the edge of the bed, startling the older boy slightly. After spotting Kurt, however, he relaxed a bit, and patted the spot beside him. Kurt quickly scuffled up next to him, and looked over his shoulder to see where he was in the book.

"I love this book," muttered Kurt. "I use to read it all the time. I think my dad bought me three copies before he finally told me he wasn't spending more money on a book I could likely recite by heart." Blaine laughed at that, folding over the corner of the page he was on, and placing it down next to him.

"So, what are you doing up this early?" asked Kurt in an attempt to hear the other boy's voice again. He just got a shrug in return and a quietly spoken "couldn't sleep" in response.

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a little while, Kurt tossing questions around in his head, and Blaine just lying back against the headboard, his eyes closed. Watching the quiet boy with a small smile on his face, Kurt finally voiced the question he'd had on his mind since the day before when he showed up at the choir room and saw Blaine.

"Why where you sleeping in the choir room?"

Blaine's eyes shot open at the question, a small amount of fear in them. Immediately regretting asking it, Kurt placed a gentle hand on Blaine's shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly, but relax a bit.

"You don't have to tell me, Blaine…" he whispered. "I just want to make sure everything's okay, is all." Giving him another small smile, Kurt took his hand away and lay back against the headboard with Blaine, just relaxing. After a few moments, Blaine spoke up.

"I left my key at home, and my parents took the spare with them when they left… I-I got home late last night, so I didn't want to have to call anyone and ask to stay the night… and the school was the first place I came up with."

Blaine didn't look at Kurt as he spoke, and instead took to looking at a picture of the forest on the wall across from him. Kurt frowned slightly, knowing that what Blaine spoke was a lie, but decided not to voice it and cause more problems at such an early time.

"Well… just know that you can always call me whenever you need a place to stay," Kurt responded, hoping Blaine did just that. "Any time of the day – or night – okay?" Blaine simply nodded, still not looking at the other boy. With a sigh, Kurt stood up.

"Well, I'm going to go take a shower. There's another one right down the hall, second door on the left, okay? I'll get out some spare clothes for you to wear." Flashing him one last smile, Kurt made his way back into his room, searching his closet for something he thought would look good on Blaine – not that anything would look _bad _on Blaine. He could be wearing a potato sack and still look drop dead gorgeous in Kurt's eyes.

Blushing slightly at the thought, Kurt lay out a pair of tight jeans, a white dress shirt, and a red over shirt. Carefully folding up the clothing, Kurt walked across the hall again and after knocking on the door, opened it and placed the clothes carefully on the bed that Blaine must have had recently made up.

Brushing his hand over his bangs, he turned to leave out of the room, but not before hearing a small sound coming from the bathroom that sounded like something falling, followed by a softly muttered 'shit'.

"Blaine?" he called. The only responding noise was loud shuffling and the sound of a few more things being knocked over. "You okay?" Taking a few nervous steps towards the bathroom door, he stopped and reached out for it, placing it softly on the wood frame.

"'M fine," came the response after a minute. Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time that morning, Kurt dropped his arm to his side and turned back.

"Clothes are on the bed. Let me know if they don't fit right, I think they should though…" And with that, Kurt left the guestroom and went back to his own room to take a shower.

* * *

Stepping into the warm water running down from the shower, Blaine felt immediately relaxed. A soft pool of pink made its way down from his arm, where he had made a large gash in his arm a few moments ago. The sound of Kurt's footsteps had startled him into his hand slipping, creating a much larger – and deeper – cut than he had meant to.

Reaching his hand over to touch the cut, he winced a bit before placing his hand at the start of it, a few inches below his shoulder. He traced down the raged line that shifted to the left as it went, ending a few inches above his elbow. When he reached the end, he lifted his finger and looked at the watery-red drop on his finger.

He didn't know why he did it this time. There was nothing wrong. He was here with Kurt, the person who always made him feel better, more like a person rather than just a _thing_. But… part of him still felt empty. And when he felt that blade on his skin, he felt like maybe, somehow, this would fix his problems.

But he knew they didn't.

Despite that knowledge, though, he still did it. He still wanted somebody other than Kurt to notice him. To help him. Yes, he _was_ thankful that he had Kurt… but was it so much to ask for his parents to care about him in a way that didn't affect their reputation? He felt that, maybe, just maybe, if he screwed his life up enough… they'd do _something_ for him, whether it be just shove him into a mental home or _anything_, it would at least show that they _cared_ enough to do something.

So, he did it. Looking at the harsh red cut on his arm, he didn't feel as though he regretted anything. Water continued to run down his arm, but it no longer ran red, the blood having stopped quite quickly. Trailing down the cut with his finger again, he let out a shaky breath before looking up at the ceiling and washing up.

After having quickly washed his hair, Blaine let the water run on him for another five minutes before finally coming out. Blaine had always found showers to relax him, clear his mind. But this time, it just made him think harder, get more confused.

_Why was he doing this?_

To try and get his parents to do _something_ to show that they cared – for them to actually acknowledge his existence for once in his life.

_Why was he here?_

He didn't want to go home, to face his parents, to see them ignore him or have disappointment on their faces because he wasn't the perfect child.

_Why couldn't he tell Kurt the truth?_

Simple. He'd tell the guidance counselor, who would just ship him off to a mental home, and his parents would just let them, not even caring about what would come of their only child.

_Why did Kurt care?_

That was something he couldn't answer.

Why _did_ Kurt care? It wasn't as though Blaine was anything special. No, he was _much_ less than that. He was broken; he was _nothing_. He had nothing to give, and it felt as though he was just taking. Kurt was giving him shelter, giving him compassion, giving him _friendship_. He was taking Blaine under his wing, even though Blaine himself knew that nothing could pull him out from the dark hole he'd fallen into.

And yet, Kurt still cared. He was still here, trying. And that, _that_ just made Blaine feel worse. He was wasting Kurt's time, and he knew it. And the sooner Kurt left him, the better off the countertenor would be.

And yet, Blaine couldn't find it in his heart to tell the other boy to leave him alone. Because as much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, he wanted – no, he _needed_ – the other boy in his life. A small smile tugged at his lip as he pulled on the slightly large clothing that Kurt had laid out for him and headed out to the living room.

* * *

Kurt – similar to Blaine – had a lot on his mind as the warm water cascaded down his skin, leaving him feeling slightly more refreshed. Only, his thoughts were quite different. They consisted mostly of questions he didn't have the answer to.

_What is the _real_ reason Blaine had been sleeping in the choir room?_

Sure, he had said he'd lost his key… but that didn't make much sense. He _knew_ that his house was closer to Blaine's than the school was, not to mention, he could have gotten into so much trouble had it been a teacher and not Mercedes who had found him in the choir room.

_What is going on at Blaine's home?_

Sure, his parents hadn't been the one to hit him – or so Blaine said. He wasn't sure _what_ to believe now. He knew that the quiet boy had lied about sleeping in the choir room, why wouldn't he lie about this? What if his parents _were_ abusing him, and he was just too afraid to tell anyone?

_Why is Blaine flinching at every touch lately?_

Sure, Blaine had always been jumpy, but he never used to flinch away from Kurt's touch. And now, the boy seemed to be slightly scared of Kurt.

As though he had something to hide.

_Why is it that Blaine is so broken?_

That was the question Kurt wanted to know most of all, and yet he knew it would be the hardest to find out.

Turning off the water, Kurt exited the shower having more questions now than he did prior. For the first time in a long time, Kurt didn't even bother checking threw his entire closet, rather just pulling out the first outfit that he could properly match together. No, he had too much on his mind right now to spend an hour trying to figure out what to wear when he'd likely just have to change a quarter of the way through because of a slushy.

A slight frown on his face, Kurt carefully pulled on his clothing, and made his way out towards the living room trying to figure out what to say about all of the questions running through his head.

* * *

**A/N:** I feel soo angsty... It's like, every time I write in Blaine's POV it's all _angst, angst, angst_, and I'm like 'I SHOULD WRITE SOME FLUFF AND MAKE BLAINE HAPPY!' and then I end up writing more angst... For most people, the nice whether makes them write happy fluff romance stuff. For me, no, it makes me write ANGST.

Annie24601 - no problem, and thank you! ^^ And yes, I hate James too. Unfortunatly, this isn't the end of the flashbacks with him... he's a total jerk! And yes, Kurt's _very_ determined, much to Blaine's inner-monologue-protest.

TonyJ - Why thank you :3

BloodyAphrodite - Pfft, wouldn't _anything_ sound sexy coming from Blaine/Darren's mouth?

Tori Sohma - Why thank you. I may just let you live now, child *patpat*

Thanks again to everyone who seems to find enjoyment by this story that currently feels like it has NO plot line except for ANGST. I wonder how many times I used the word angst in the authors note... it's a fun word. Angst, angst, angst...

ANYWAYSSS, have a nice long weekend and memorial day! I shouldn't have too much homework this week because most of the kids in my grade are going on a week-long feildtrip to *dundundun* CANADA, but I didn't feel like going, so they can't really give us too much work.

~Joshua 


	16. Chapter 16 Weekends

**A/N:** Before you ask, yes, there actually _is_ a bit of plot development and happiness in this chapter *dun dun duuuun* IT'S A MIRACLE! But ya, redrosegal and I agreed that I was getting faaar too offtrack, into all this giant pile of angst and... angst. Nothing was happining. It felt like everything was background information and _filler-ness_. So, I tried to get _something_ to happen.

This chapter... is kinda boring, especially the begining. But I really couldn't move on until this happened. It's not _much_ plot development, but it's a bit. I promise something will happen next chapter, which I will try to get up within the next day or two! Redrosegal's family has *cough*finally*cough* left, which means she's here to nag me allll night to write words. And I shouldn't have any homework but my project this week, so I'm all good!

Anyways, enjoy. Or, try to. Or... I'm going to shut up now.

* * *

Friday passed by relatively quickly for the two boys. They sat with the glee club at lunch, Blaine avoiding any and all eye contact, ignoring anything that was said to him. Even though Kurt was in a heated debate over why Rachel's clothing choices that day should be considered illegal, he couldn't help but sneak frequent glances over at the quiet boy.

In Glee club, Blaine sat in the back corner the entire time, watching as Rachel and Tina performed their country songs for the week, both girls sporting country outfits (hats, boots, the whole shebang). He didn't even bother getting up and joining in the dancing like everyone else, and even though Kurt _did_, he wasn't as into it as he normally was.

All he could do was watch Blaine with a sad expression on his face.

The two split ways after Glee, Blaine refusing a ride home and insisting that he wanted to walk home and get some fresh air. The fact that Blaine was going home _proved_ that he had been lying about the key, but when Kurt brought it up; he claimed that he had remembered in geography that his neighbor had another.

So now, it was Saturday, and Kurt was sitting back in the hospital at his father's bedside, venting to the comatose man about his best friend.

"-and I just have no idea what to do! He's closed off to _everyone_, and he won't even _try_ talking to them. I _know_ that something's wrong, otherwise he wouldn't have lied to me, right? There would have been no reason to. But he did, I know it, and I have no idea what to do," he groaned. He had been sitting in the same spot, just venting, for over two hours now. His hand had never once left his father's, and his head now lay on the edge of the bed.

"I wish you were here, dad…" Kurt mumbled softly, squeezing his dad's hand gently. "Please wake up soon…"

* * *

Blaine spent Saturday avoiding his house in any ways possible. His parents were arguing over finances again, and after hearing his name (not necessarily 'Blaine', more often he was referred to as 'the kid' or 'that child' or even the occasional 'it') called about fifteen times, he'd stormed out of the house.

So the sunset found Blaine leaning back against a tree in the park, head buried in his calculus homework. Well, more like _next week's_ calculus homework, seeing as he'd already done all of the weekend's homework after only a few hours of being out.

But even as the sun set over the horizon, Blaine didn't feel like heading home. So instead, he sat out underneath the tree he'd been using as shelter from the sun for the next three hours, before finally packing up his backpack and heading home.

Let's just say Blaine finished Pride and Prejudice, along with a good portion of that month's math homework.

* * *

Sunday for Kurt was just as uneventful as Saturday. The girls of New Directions had invited him to go out shopping, but he just hadn't been in the mood. Mercedes had even invited him to go to her church, which he politely declined, not in the mood to learn about a religion that he always felt shunned him for his sexuality.

So, he spent Sunday morning sleeping in and doing his homework, and returned to the hospital once again Sunday afternoon. Carole and Finn had been there for the first hour, but left after making sure that Kurt was okay.

For once, Kurt didn't know what to say to his 'sleeping' father (he preferred to refer to him as sleeping than being comatose). So, he just sat there, holding his hand, and begging him to squeeze it. Anything to show that he was waking up was doing better.

And just when Kurt was about to go home, that was exactly what he got.

After packing up his bag with the belongings he had brought with him, he grabbed onto his father's hand one more time, and began to speak to him.

"I don't believe in God, dad. But I believe in us. And _that's_ what's sacred to me. I need you, dad. I promise I won't ever miss another Friday night dinner if it means that you'll wake up… please…" Just as Kurt was about to release his father's hand, tears rolling down his face, he felt the fidget of finger's in his hand. Looking at his father threw tear-stained eyes, his mouth dropped open slightly.

"Dad?" A small groan was his response as Burt's head slowly turned towards his son, his fingers moving a bit more.

"Nurse Nancy!" Kurt called out, kneeling down next to his father as a nurse came rushing in. "It's going to be okay, dad, everything will be fine. Just get up, okay?"

* * *

After being rushed out by the doctors, Kurt sat in the waiting room, head in his hands, just waiting on the news that his father would be okay. Because he had to be. Hummels were strong; his dad was strong. And the last time Kurt saw him, he was waking up, so everything would be fine.

But Kurt couldn't stop himself from being nervous. So, he called up the first person that came to mind.

Blaine.

* * *

Blaine received the call while he was sitting on the swing set at the park. At first, he wasn't going to answer it. After all, who would bother calling Blaine? First of all, he had no friends. Second of all, he didn't talk, so it made absolutely no sense. But when he saw the caller I.D., he knew he had to answer it.

Flicking his phone open, he made a grunting noise so that Kurt knew he had picked up. He heard a faint sniffle on the other end, and immediately stood up from his seat on the swing, and began walking out of the park.

_"Blaine? W-would you m-mind coming down to the hospital? M-my d-dad is waking u-up, but I'm just s-scared that something might ha-happen. You don't have to…"_ Blaine bit his lip at the sad sound of the boy's voice; his emotions clear even through the phone. Whispering a quick 'I'll be right there,' Blaine grabbed his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and jogged his way towards the hospital. Lucky for him, it was only a few miles away.

* * *

Kurt watched as Blaine ran into the waiting room, drenched in sweat, slightly shivering from the cold. But that wasn't very surprising, seeing as the boy was wearing a short-sleeved gray shirt and loose jeans in the middle of autumn.

But at the moment, Kurt didn't care for his lack of fashion. He just hopped up from his seat, and ran over to Blaine, wrapping his arms around him in a hug, and sobbed. He didn't know why he was sobbing, he just did. He supposed he was just relieved, relieved that after all this time, his father was finally getting up.

Blaine patted his back soothingly, and pulled him out of the way of the entrance. The two sat down when Kurt had been sitting for the past twenty or so minutes, waiting on the news of Kurt's dad. Kurt continued (now quietly) crying into Blaine's shoulder for the next fifteen or so minutes, until he slowly drifted off into a light slumber.

Glancing it the clock, Blaine saw that it was now seven fifteen. His stomach growled a bit, and he sighed. He hadn't eaten yet that day, having rushed out of his house at the break of dawn in order to avoid any more of the nonsensical screaming that went on in his house. Why his parents were even married when all they did was argue remained a mystery to Blaine, one that he really didn't care enough to look further into.

Turning to Kurt, he couldn't help but smile a bit. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to wake the sleeping boy. He looked so at peace, despite the tearstains on his face and his now-red-and-pale face.

So instead, Blaine decided he'd just have to wait until the doctor came back out to wake Kurt up. And lucky for him, he didn't have to wait much longer, because a tall doctor with short, black hair and glasses came out a few minutes later.

"Kurt Hummel?" he called. Blaine gently shook Kurt's shoulder, unable to keep the small smile off his face at the boy's tired reaction.

"Whasit? Whas goin' on?" he asked, blinking his eyes awake, stifling a yawn as he spoke. Blaine laughed softly as Kurt reached up to rub his eyes, blinking them furiously. The dark-haired boy tilted his head towards the doctor, and Kurt quickly remembered why he was there, jumping out of his seat. Grabbing Blaine's hand, he ran off down the corridor and towards the doctor.

"How is he? Is he okay? Did he wake up?" he asked quickly, suddenly filled with fear again.

"Calm down, calm down. He's fine. He's awake now, and for the most part stable. We want to keep him overnight, just to make sure everything remains the same. His blood pressure is still a bit off, but that's all to be expected. You can go and see him if you want." Muttering a quick thank you, Kurt pulled Blaine along the long hallway, back to his father's room.

When Kurt entered the room, he quickly dropped Blaine's hand, and found himself crying again. Only this time, he had a smile on his face as he slowly walked into the room.

"Dad…" he whispered, walking over to his father. Burt smiled, and held his arms out, Kurt quickly falling into them to hug his father, who was still lying down in the hospital bed. Blaine stood at the entrance of the door, wanting to make sure Kurt was okay before he left. He held both his and Kurt's bags on his shoulder, leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey son, how ya holding up?" Burt asked, his voice somewhat hoarse. But it didn't matter to Kurt – those were the first words he'd heard his dad speak in ages, and they just sent him into a whole new wave of tears.

"I missed you, dad," he mumbled into the cloth of his father's hospital gown. Burt simply smiled, and patted his dad's back. Not wanting to intrude, Blaine left Kurt and his father to speak together, and headed down towards the cafeteria.

Before he could make it there, however, he spotted a familiar face, and despite trying to avoid the boy, the other seemed to spot him and call him over.

"Blaine!" Said boy spun on his heels, only to see the one and only Finn Hudson standing beside his mother, who was frantically looking around. "What are you doing here?"

Blaine simply tipped his head in the direction of Burt's hospital room, and Finn 'ahh'd in understanding. Shrugging, he began to turn to head back towards the cafeteria, but was stopped by a hand being placed on his shoulder.

"Wait!" came Finn's voice as he spun Blaine back around. Blaine raised an eyebrow expectantly at him, and Finn continued. "Well uh… I just wanted to like, thank you for helping out and like… being there for Kurt. He was really put off by his dad being in the hospital… I mean, anyone would be, but he was just… he was like, closing off from everyone. So, ya, just… thanks for being there for him, I guess."

Smiling, Blaine knew that that was something _pretty_ sentimental for Finn. He simply made a gesture that spoke 'no problem' before turning around to head to the cafeteria, only to be stopped – once again – by Finn.

"Kurt's with his dad, right?" Without even turning around, Blaine nodded."Kay, thanks!" came the response. Hearing footsteps behind him, Blaine assumed he would finally be able to make his way towards the cafeteria without a problem.

* * *

"Carole, Finn," Kurt sat up from his position from hugging his father, sniffling, when he heard his dad's voice calling the name of the Hudson's. Spinning around in his seat, he saw – sure enough – Finn and Carole Hudson standing in the doorway. Carole seemed close to tears, a large smile on her face, and Finn merely had a lopsided smile he often wore on his face.

Standing up from his seat, Kurt motioned for Carole to go ahead and speak to his father. Finn motioned his head towards the doorway, and Kurt fallowed quickly, not sure what his almost-brother wanted to speak about.

"What's up with that Blaine kid? I mean, are you two, like… dating or something?" Well, _that_ wasn't what Kurt was expecting. Not at _all_.

"No, Finn," snapped Kurt. "Two gay guys can be friends without dating, you know."

Finn looked taken aback at the response, and immediately tried to recover from the mistake he didn't realize he had made. "No, dude, that's not what I meant! I mean, I know that! It's just, well, what was he doing here? I mean, you didn't even call _us_ to tell us your dad was awake, and we're like… we're all pretty much a family. And yet you called Blaine, so… I guess I just wanted to know what he was to you…"

Well, that made sense to Kurt at least. And it was true, he _had_ forgotten to call his almost-family to tell them about his father, too wrapped up in emotions. And yet, he called Blaine.

"Even if I _did_ want to date him, Finn," '_which I totally do,'_ he added, internally. "I wouldn't. He doesn't need a boyfriend, he needs a friend. You saw him on Friday; he's so… so _broken_."

"Look, I understand dude, I just wanted to check, okay? 'Cause if you were, I'd need to give him the big-brother talk," smirked Finn. Kurt couldn't help but smile at the lopsided grin his almost-brother gave him, and pulled him into a hug, much to Finn's detest.

"Thanks, Finn," he muttered. "But just so you know, I _am_ the older one." Finn laughed a bit at that, causing Kurt to smile. It felt nice to see how far he and Finn had come. It went from him hopelessly crushing on the boy, to their parents dating and him _still_ hopelessly crushing on him, to them pretty much hating each other just the week before, to this. A true brotherly love. And Kurt's smiled even more when Finn reciprocated the hug, apparently no longer afraid of 'catching-the-gay' like he once likely was.

"Where did Blaine go, anyways? I never thanked him for coming down."

"Umm… he looked like he was heading towards the café or something," said Finn, rubbing the back of his head.

"Thanks!" came Kurt's response as he already began heading down the hallway. Finn just smiled as he watched him go, and headed back into Burt's hospital room.

* * *

Looking up from his sandwich, Blaine was surprised to see the seat across from him being pulled backwards. However, the surprise vanished when he saw a smiling Kurt looking down at him.

"This seat taken?" Blaine simply smiled and shook his head, watching as Kurt quickly sat down and placed his hands – neatly folded – onto the table. "Good, because I wanted to thank you for coming down here and not minding me acting like a complete and utter mental wreckage." Blaine simply laughed, causing Kurt's smile to widen.

Gosh, he loved the sound of that boy's laugh.

"Well, seeing as it looks like you ran here," spoke up Kurt after a few moments of silence, gesturing to Blaine's sweat-stained t-shirt, "I believe I will offer you a ride home." Blaine simply held up his hands, shaking them as though to say 'its fine', but Kurt wouldn't have it.

"No, come on, I insist, you ran all the way down here, and it's getting late now. I am _not_ letting you walk home. It's pitch black out there!" Sighing in defeat, Blaine took the last bite of his sandwich, brushing his hands together to get the few crumbs off and onto the tray before standing up and throwing it away.

* * *

The cart ride to Blaine's house was completely silent, neither even bothering to turn on the radio. Both snuck occasional glances at each other, and surprisingly never caught each other's glance. By the time they reached his house, Blaine was almost asleep.

"Here, let me help you in," offered Kurt, already reaching for Blaine's bag. But Blaine quickly shook his head, snatched his bag out of Kurt's grasp, and opened the door, seeming much more awake than he had before. Waving him off, Blaine practically _sprinted_ to his front door, slipping his key in, and pushing it open.

When the door was open, Kurt caught a quick glimpse of a woman and man speaking in the back of the room, having to squint his eyes to see them. But he was sure they were there.

That was just more proof that Blaine had been lying. _What was going on?_

* * *

**A/N**: Well, my fingers are being weird... just took me five tried to correctly get a slash...

ANYWAYS... fast pace chapter is fast? So many page breaks... but anyways, I'm going to make this fast, because I am sitting on a floor, my back up to the corner of a shoe container thingy (I lack the use of proper words)_, _my laptop battery quickly decreasing, and my dog attempting to eat my hand as I type.

redrosegal - Oh, if only... I WANNA TAKE YOU UP TO WINNIPEG, THAT'S IN CANADA! I'm gloing to kidnap you to Winnipeg one of these days... one day... and it was only awesome ebcause of you and your naggy-ness and beta-ness *insert-heart-here*

uriah cullen - Here ya go~ :3

Tori Sohma - Your like, _asking_ me to kill you, Tori. I spent ALL DAY helping you with your project, too! GOT BUG BITES ALL OVER MY LEGS, AND SLEPT IN A SINGLE BED WITH YOU, JUST FOR YOU TO TELL ME THE CHAPTER IS TO SHORT? *pounces* I'ma kill chuuuuuuuu

PCJC24 - Pfft, I wish I had done that... they could've been all cuddly and snuggly and adorable! Merlin, Klaine makes me act like a squeaky teenage fangirl...

HPFanFicLuvr - Really? I know I've seen some personal angst ones, but ya, a lot of them are mostly affects on relationship and such... I think that's part of the reason why I'm keeping the relationship at bay for now. That, and I'm trying to at least semi stick to the cannon time line. And thank you, it means a lot to know that I've been able to capture his emotions correctly. I use to have some problems similar to him, not to the same extent where my parents ignored everything about me and such, but I had huge issues with feeling out in the shadows and such, but that was mostly caused by my peers. So I tried to use that, a long with some of what my friend's have told me about their problems, and put it into Blaine. It's good to know it's working~

rholou - As do I, Blaine bottling this up can't be helping him... but he's a stubborn little cookie, eh?

Now, I should likely get some rest before I attempt to write incoherent thoughts, seeing as I made and caught like, fifty grammatical errors in my authors note already. Sorry if I missed more... anyways, I hope that you all had a nice memorials day and long weekend, and have fun getting back to WORK and SCHOOOOL. I get a laid back school week of doing almost NOTHING, HAH! But I have two projects, so that sucks... anyways! Rambling!

Thanks for reading, and reviewing, or whatever it is you're doing! :D

And thanks again to redrosegal for beta-ing!

~Joshua 


	17. Chapter 17 of Duets and Rachel Berry

**A/N:** Hey. Look at this. It's DUETS. Magic. I'm no longer on the same episode going at a FREAKISHLY SLOW PACE. I really need to stop going so sloooow. I have a major problem with that... repeating things...

I _would_ have had this up yesterday, but redrosegal's computer spazzed out and wouldn't let her send it back to me D: So thank you for magically getting it to work again, oh magical computer spirits!

But, here we go. I haven't seen the episode in a while, and I was too lazy to go back and watch it, so I'm reading summaries of the episode to help me xD This chapter's mostly Blaine-centric(towards the end, at least). More Kurt-centric next chapter. But NO ANGST IN THIS CHAPTER. Magic? I think so.

and HOLY FUDGEBISCUITS. 247 alerts, 27,300 hits, and 105 favorites. ...*shocked speachless* *faints* *will remain fainted until redrosegal does something to un-faint me*

* * *

"I've got some bad news."

Looking up from his feet as Mr. Schuester began to speak, Blaine raised an eyebrow. Normally he didn't really pay much attention in glee, only being there because Kurt had asked him to. Speaking of which, Kurt was looking at their Glee instructor with complete confusion on his face.

"Puck's in juvie."

And with that, an outbreak broke out amongst the students.

"It's about time!"

"What did he do now?"

"Don't tell me he killed someone."

"Guys, guys, settle down," said Mr. Shue, trying to calm down his students. After a few moments, the voices quieted. "Thank you. And to answer your question, Mike, he stole his mother's car, drove it threw a convenience store, and left with the ATM machine," he deadpanned. A few quiet laughs filled the room before Rachel spoke up.

"Guys, as much as we will miss having Noah in our presence, we really have to start working Sectionals!" A large chunk of the group rolled their eyes, or huffed in annoyance.

"No, no, Rachel's right," said Mr. Shue. "Which is why, I'd like to introduce you all to our newest member, Sam!"

With that, a blond-haired boy came walking in threw the door, waving. Everyone greeted him into the glee club with open arms, glad to have a new member amongst them, seeing as it wasn't too often someone was willing to risk their social status to join the crew.

"Psst," Blaine turns his head to see Kurt signaling to both him and Mercedes to lean in close. "I think he plays for team gay." Blaine merely smirked at that, shaking his head, Mercedes laughing softly. "What! Look at his hair! _No_ straight guy would ever dye his hair like that."

"Guys! This week's assignment?" Mr. Shue reminded them, tapping at his watch. The classroom quickly quieted down, Sam having taken a seat between Finn and Mike. "Good. Anyways, this week, our topic is-" he turned the board and began writing, "Duets. Now, unlike the ballads, I'm going to let you guys pick your partners." An outbreak of small cheer rang out. "And I've decided to make a little… competition out of it."

If he didn't have their attention before, he sure had it now. Well, everyone's but Blaine's, who was currently resting his head in his hands, completely bored.

"The best performance will get a free night out to, drum roll Finn… Breadstix!"

The room burst into cheers once more, causing Blaine to groan. What was the big deal, anyways?

"Wait, wait, how do we know you're not just gonna go ahead and pick your favorite?" Santanna said, looking at him accusingly.

"_Because_, you all are going to vote for your favorite performance. Now, good luck, and I'll see you guys tomorrow."

* * *

"So, who are you going to sing with?" Kurt turned to his left where Mercedes was standing.

"Well, seeing as I'm sure Blaine here-" he gently elbowed the boy, whom was currently slouching as he walked down the halls, "-likely doesn't want to perform again this week, I was actually thinking about asking Sam. You know, making him feel welcome."

"Uh-hu, sure, _that's_ why you want to ask him," she joked lightly, causing Kurt to blush lightly and shake his head.

"No, really, even if he _is_ gay – which I really don't doubt there is the possibility of – he's not my type. Cute, sure, but he's a bit too… jock-like."

"And Finn wasn't?"

"You said you wouldn't bring that up again!" whined Kurt, looking at Mercedes with pleading eyes. She simply laughed and said her farewells as she turned to her class. Looking over to Blaine, Kurt saw that he was standing there with a smirk on his face, an eyebrow raised as if to say _'What about Finn?'_. Blushing slightly, he put his head down before rolling his eyes.

"That, my friend, is a story for another time." They continued walking. "Now, are you _sure_ you don't want to perform this week? It'd be a good time to start, seeing as I would be singing with you – if you wanted, of course." He rushed out the last part, not wanting to imply that Blaine _had_ to work with him, just offering.

But Blaine simply shook his head quickly, and bit his lip, looking at the ground again. Kurt sighed, but smiled at his friend.

"All right, all right. I'm going to go ask Sam if he'll be my duet partner then. See you in Spanish?" Blaine nodded. "See ya, Blaine!"

Blaine watched Kurt go with a small frown on his face. Yeah, he _wanted_ to sing with Kurt, but just… not in front of so many people. That would just be too much for him. Sighing, he set off in the direction of his Calculus class, only to be hit square in the face with a purple slushy.

"Thought you might need a nice cold shower after talking to your little fairy buddy, fag!" Blaine didn't even have to open his eyes (which he didn't, because he sure as hell knew it would sting) to know it had been Karofsky and Azimo who had thrown the slushy at him. When their footsteps echoed away, Blaine sighed and tugged at his sleeve, whipping the cool ice away from his eyes.

"You okay?" Blaine turned to see who one of the _last_ people he expected to see offering their help – Rachel Berry. Blaine simply nodded, and Rachel smiled in sympathy to him. "Come on, I'll help you clean up."

"I know you're probably wondering why I'm helping you…" Rachel was currently leaning over the sink in the girl's bathroom, brushing her finger's threw Blaine's curly hair in order to get all the offending slush out of it. "And to be honest, I don't really know. I mean, I guess I can see how you feel sometimes, no one wanting to listen to you… I just act the opposite though, and speak louder, because after all, my opinion is a _very_ important one." She smiled at him, softly, before adding, "And yours is too."

Blaine simply looked at her in surprise. Was this _honestly_ the same girl that had tried to get him to sing in front of the entire club, despite his obvious fear of not even wanting to _speak_ in front of them?

"Also, I'm sorry about last week." Well, now Blaine was _sure_ it wasn't. From what Kurt had told him, Rachel Berry almost _never _apologized, and was too wrapped up in herself to even notice if she hurt someone else. But looking at her as she finished rinsing out his hair and got him a towel to dry it ('_wow, New Directions really was always prepared for stuff like this, always having towels and spare clothing_'), he saw that she was sincere. She had a small bit of sorrow in her eyes, a small frown on her face.

Blaine simply smiled at her as he rubbed his hair mostly dry, shaking his damp locks back a bit. When he had fixed up his hair to the best of his ability, he held his arms out, signaling for her to hug him. Smiling, she did just that, hugging him tightly.

"I really didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just didn't want anyone tearing our family apart… but, well, I see how happy you make Kurt, and I know you wouldn't do anything to ruin glee for him… so, I just wanted to personally welcome you to glee club and… welcome you to our family."

With that, Blaine pulled back from the hug, and smiled at her, letting her know that she was completely forgiven.

This Rachel seemed so different than the Rachel Kurt had described to him, and he had seen. She was _nice_, _caring_. She wasn't focusing on herself, or being in the spotlight. No, she was focusing on _Blaine_, and making sure he was okay.

"Do you have a change of clothes?" Blaine was snapped out of his train of thought by Rachel's voice. She had turned away from him as he finished drying his hair up a bit, whipping her hands off on a paper towel now.

Blaine shook his head, and bit his lip. He hadn't had time to grab a spare pair of clothes that morning, having had woken up late and pretty much threw on the first thing he saw, running out the door.

Rachel simply smiled, and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the bathroom. "Come on, I'm sure Finn has _something_ you can borrow. It might have to be his football clothes though, I hope you don't mind." She had an apologetic look on her face, but Blaine simply smiled.

* * *

"Well, it's not as big as I _thought_ it would be…"

Blaine and Rachel were currently back in the girls bathroom, Blaine now sporting a gray tee-shirt along with the jeans he'd been wearing earlier. The tee-shirt hung loosely on him, falling off of his shoulder at times. He laughed lightly as he adjusted it once more, trying to hold it up.

"Hmm…" Rachel walked around to Blaine's back, and pinched the material together, holding it. "Let me just check… here we go!" having found a safety pin in her pocket, she pinned together the back of the shirt, holding it in place so it would fit a bit better. "There's not much I can really do about the length-" the shirt went down to around four inches above his knees "-but it's better than something sticky, right?"

Smiling and nodding, Blaine moved his shoulders a bit, making sure she hadn't pinned it too tightly. Nope, it fit perfectly fine. Smiling at her, Blaine went in and gave her another hug before grabbing his bag where he had put it against the wall.

"Well, we're already late to math. I'm sure I can think of something that will get us out of trouble though. After all, with my acting skills, I'm sure I could pull off _any_ excuse." Blaine smirked at her, chuckling softly.

_That_ was the Rachel he had known of. But he had the feeling he could like her a lot more now.

* * *

**A/N:** *magically un-fainted to write authors note* Oh yes. A Raine(Rachel/Blaine) friendship. Who knew? I just think they'd get along well... as friends. Despite me so often saying I hate her, I actually _do_ like Rachel. Sometimes. As my mom says, I don't hate _Rachel_, I just often hate her attitude... and enjoy watching her get slapped in the face. And this friendship _will_ play a bigger part in the story, it's not just randomly thrown in there. Plus, Blaine needs friends. He has Kurt, and Mercedes, but Mercedes only because Kurt is friends with him. Poor, poor, lonely Blaine.

Tori Sohma - I still say your a meanyface.

redrosegal - ...the begining of that review makes me feel like a puppy. WOOF! *wags tail* :3 And if you go to Winnipeg, make sure to get a picture!

- Ya... I noticed that too. Thanks for pointing it out though, I am going to work on going at a quicker pace and getting along with the story. Now that I actually have an idea of something to happen, should go much better xD

Annie24601 - I felt bad for having Burt in the hospital, I'm just glad he's allll better! And yes, I love Finn, so I had to have that happen xD Finn _may_ have been obnoxious to Kurt in series 1, but I think he's super-epic and hilarious now.

PaigeTurner.x - Klaine is magically awesome, and thus EVERYONE should love them! And ya, I see what ya did there! Smart! :D

uriah cullen - Awww! I'm sorry! If it's any help, my entire _family_ thinks I'm a weirdo xD I watch the same Glee episode 3 times in a row when it first comes out - the full thing live, just the Klaine parts, and the full thing again xD

Lily 3's Blaine - Woops, thanks! ^^

EmmaANDERSON 4 EVER - ya... it kind of annoys me to have him so out of character, but I support it because every situation someone goes threw makes them who they are. And since Blaine went threw a different situation, he acts differently, and isn't _exactly_ the same person. Over time I'm hoping to draw him more into character though...

- Heh heh heh... that he would... WE SHOULD SEND HIM A PETITION CLAIMING THAT HE SHOULD DO IT.

Ican'tcomeupwithanothername - Old school *nodnod*

Lily - REDVINESSSSS! *uploads* GIMME GIMME!

dazzledrizzle - TADA~

rholou - So do I, he's really a great character! Quite inspirtational, if you ask me.

Also, I _may_ be uploading chapters a bit slower from now on. I started another Klaine story seeing as I've been having some trouble writing this one. It's kind of just to get my 'creative juices' flowing. It's an AU story with Prince!Blaine, Pauper(aka poor)!Kurt. Kind of forbidden-love story, and not your average love story either. It's not like *Blaine sees kurt and knows he must be his*. It's... well, you'll see once I get there.

~Joshua


	18. Chapter 18 of Drama and Sam Evans

**A/N: **So... I just uploaded this and forgot the add the authors note, so sorry for having to upload it twice ^^' And I _greatly_ apologize for the wait. I actually had this done the day after the last chapter, but redrosegal's word processor wasn't working, so she couldn't get the beta'd version back to me until yesterday. But we now have a Kurt-centric chapter that leads into - as the chapter name suggests - some DRAMA. Not angst (for once), but Drama and a semi-depressed/angry Kurt. Enjoy!

* * *

The bell rang just as Kurt reached Sam's locker. The blond-haired boy was closing his locker as Kurt leaned against the one next to it. He just _had_ to get Sam to do this duet with him. Maybe if Blaine saw him singing with another boy, he'd be jealous and make the first move. Because Kurt was _not_ going to make the first move. If Blaine wasn't ready, he wasn't ready. But, a push in the right direction wouldn't hurt…

"Hi!" said Kurt, maybe a bit too perky. Sam just looked at him, mouth slightly open, an eyebrow raised. "I'm Kurt. I just wanted to _personally_ welcome you to the glee club."

"Uhh… thanks, I think," said Sam, adjusting the books in his hands.

"So," Kurt held out the 'o' in the word, a slight smile on his face. "Do you have a partner for the duet assignment this week? Because if not, I'd be willing to do it with you." Kurt smiled kindly at Sam, waiting for an answer, and praying that it would be-

"Uhh, sure, I guess so." Kurt's smile increased at that, and he patted Sam on the shoulder.

"You won't regret this, I promise. Could I have your cell phone number so I can be in contact with you?"

"Okay… here," said Sam, flipping open one of his notebooks and writing his number down with a pen. When he was done, he ripped off the corner of the paper with his number, and closed his notebook again. "I'll… see you at Glee, I guess…" And with that, Sam turned and headed off to class.

Kurt smiled, and happily walked towards his next class.

* * *

Kurt couldn't have been more grateful when the day ended. He quickly went in the direction of Blaine's locker, only to find him smiling and laughing with the one and only Rachel Berry. Smile quickly washing off of his face, he spun on his heel and began walking out the door of the school and into his car, heading home.

Having already sent Sam mp3's of himself singing, he had nothing to do. Blaine was too preoccupied with Kurt's enemy, Sam had football practice that afternoon so they couldn't rehearse, and Mercedes had gone out shopping with Quinn, having expected Kurt to be out with Blaine.

And to be honest, Kurt had expected to be out with Blaine, too. Right now they'd be laughing together in the Lima Bean, Kurt telling Blaine old stories of the Glee Club, and Blaine laughing and listening happily. They'd stay until around four thirty, at which time Kurt would have to head back to check on his father. Maybe Blaine would come with him too.

But no. He was too busy with _Rachel_.

Why was it that _everything_ Kurt had, Rachel had to get in the way of? 'Defying Gravity', Finn (well, he hadn't really _had_ him, and looking back on it, it was likely a good thing, but still), and now Blaine. Was everything a competition to her? Didn't she understand that Blaine was _gay_?

Sighing, Kurt parked in his driveway and pulled the keys from the ignition. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he made his way inside, closing the door slowly so as not to wake up his dad who was currently sleeping soundly on the couch.

Hanging his bag off of the back of a chair, Kurt sat down and watched his father, sighing. It felt like the world was out to get him. First his mother died, then he just has to be gay (being gay doesn't bother him, the bullying that seems to be attached to that, however, does) then his hopeless crush on Finn, his father's heart attack, and now there's finally a gay boy he can crush on, but no, he'd rather hang with Rachel.

Kurt sighed, crossing his legs in the chair, resting his elbows on his knees, chin in his hands. Was he really so bad that he turned gay guys straight? Wait, were Blaine and Rachel even _flirting_? It had seemed like it…

He supposed he should be _happy_ for Blaine. Outside of himself, Blaine only had Mercedes, whom he wasn't even that close to in the first place. So, if Rachel wanted to befriend him, that would be good. Maybe it would even encourage Blaine to speak more…

But the thought of Blaine speaking to anyone but himself made Kurt well up with anger. He _wanted_ Blaine to be speaking, yes, but _he _wanted to be the one to draw him out of the darkness. But, as long as he got better, Kurt supposed it would be better than anything.

Pulling his legs up so that his head could rest on his knees, Kurt relaxed, and smiled softly at his dad's sleeping form. Maybe things would get better for him. But right now, in comparison to Blaine's, his life seemed pretty damn good. So first things first, he had to help Blaine.

* * *

The idea of helping Blaine completely washed away when he saw Blaine and Rachel walking down the hallway, arm in arm. Stopping in his tracks, Kurt glared at the two, forgetting completely about the conclusion he had drawn yesterday.

When Blaine noticed his friend standing there, he smiled and offered a wave, hand freezing midway when he saw Kurt's glare. Wondering what he had done wrong, he turned to Rachel and slipped his arm away, about to make his way over to Kurt, only to find he was gone.

Kurt had run off in the direction of his first class, trying not to think about what he had seen. He knew he shouldn't be overreacting like this… but… he couldn't stop himself from feeling _jealous_. He felt as though Blaine were abandoning him, ditching him for Rachel. After all, _he_ usually walked arm-in-arm down the halls with Blaine, and Rachel just suddenly swooped in and stole him from him.

But, was Blaine even really Kurt's to start with? They were just friends… it's not as though Blaine were a lost puppy Kurt had taken in (as much as he acted like it sometimes) and could call his own. No, Blaine was a human. If anyone 'owned' him, it would be his parents, but even then, not really.

So, he had no right to be jealous, right? They were just friends, and he could have other friends if he wanted to. Even if that friend had to be _Rachel Berry_, likely the most annoying girl he had ever met. But, no matter how much he tried to convince himself of this, it didn't stop him from hurting any less.

* * *

The classes seemed to roll by slowly, and Kurt had managed to avoid Blaine. He had even skipped lunch in order to not have to see the brown-eyed boy smiling and laughing with his glee rival, as he knew they would be. Instead, he had eaten lunch in the choir room, plotting out what he could sing as a duet with Sam, when Finn came in.

"Dude, are you _seriously_ going to do a duet with Sam?" Finn asked the moment he opened up the door. Kurt just raised an eyebrow before responding.

"Yes, why, is that a problem? He's a new member, and he needed a partner, and so did I."

"You couldn't have picked Blaine, or even Mercedes? You had to pick _Sam_?" Finn was now standing right in front of Kurt, a slight amount of anger clear on his face.

"I don't see what the problem is. You quite clearly are choosing Rachel as your partner, so I don't see why I can't pick Sam. And for the record, Blaine still doesn't want to sing in front of a group. And I just wanted to make him feel welcome."

"You're making him a target!" Finn blurted out, before he could even realize what he was saying.

"_Excuse me_?" Kurt demanded with his '_bitch-please_' voice, putting his salad on the seat next to him and standing up to face Finn. He put both hands on his hips, and tapped his foot in an annoyed manner. "And how is that?"

"Because if _you_ sing a duet with him, everyone's going to think he's gay!" Finn threw a hand over his mouth, and slowly slipped it down, trying to cover up his mistake. "N-not that, like, being gay is bad, but… the jocks would think it, and I got him to join by saying Glee would make him popular and stuff, so… I just like, want him to stay on, to uhh… help the team and stuff. Please Kurt, if you know what's good for the team, you'll find a different partner."

With that, Finn quickly walked out of the room, leaving a dumb-struck Kurt behind to think about what Finn had just said. Shaking his head quickly, he ate the last few bites of his salad before dumping it in the trashcan and walking out of the room.

He _was_ doing the duet with Sam whether Finn liked it or not. It was Finn's own fault for lying to the kid, and _he_ wasn't going to pay for it.

* * *

In his rush to get out of the choir room, Kurt had completely forgotten about the class he had now. So sitting in his seat, he found himself having a new hatred for the class he once greatly enjoyed.

Spanish.

Blaine had come in shortly after he had, and had taken his usual seat – Right. Beside. Kurt. The boy kept shooting glances at Kurt, trying to ask what was wrong, but Kurt simply delved deeper into his work than usual, taking extra time to check over his work when he finished a worksheet, doing his best never to look up.

And that plan worked, until he saw a note slide in front of his face. Turning to his left, he saw a very somber looking Blaine looking down at the note, then up at Kurt. Sighing, Kurt picked up the note and unfolded the ripped piece of paper.

'_Did I do something wrong?'_

Glaring at the piece of paper, he threw it harshly on the desk before writing his response and sliding it back to Blaine. Before even waiting for the boy to open it, he stood up and walked over to Mr. Schuester's desk, catching the teacher's attention by placing his hands down on the desk.

"Mr. Schue, I'm not feeling well, may I be excused?" He asked, fanning a slightly-ill voice.

"Uh, sure Kurt. Everything alright?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Kurt. The boy _never_ asked to leave class early, and from what he knew, he almost never fell ill. Not once in the year he'd known the boy had he ever missed a day of school, except for the days he had been in the hospital with his dad.

"I'm fine, Mr. Schuester, just not feeling that great," Kurt lied, easily. He supposed that it should have troubled him that lying was a second nature to him now, but at the moment, he didn't really care. He just wanted _out_.

"Okay. I'll see you later then, Kurt."

With that, Kurt sped out of the room, leaving a confused Blaine to look down at the note once again, trying to figure out what his best friend (if he could still call him that, after the countertenor had been ignoring him all day) had meant in what he wrote.

'_Why don't you ask Rachel?'_

* * *

"-and Finn just up and asks me to not do the duet with the kid, because, _apparently_, singing with a gay kid automatically makes you gay, and it will 'ruin his reputation' and scare him out of the club!" huffed Kurt. He'd just spent the past hour ranting to his dad not only about the Rachel-Blaine fiasco, but also what Finn had told him to do at their lunch hour.

"Well, let's solve this glee problem first, since it seems a bit easier… I think Finn has a point."

"WHAT!" Kurt screeched, standing up from his chair to face his father, who simply continued looking at his son with a determined expression. "So, you're just going to take Finn's side? I'm suddenly harming a kid by wanting to _sing_ with him?"

"Kurt, think about it. You said you needed members for that glee club thing, right? Well, if the school gives the glee jocks a hard time, and an even worse one to you-" Kurt flinched slightly at the fact that his dad seemed to know that, but didn't interrupt "-then it wouldn't do the kid any good to be singing with you. Now, you _know_ I want life to be easy for you, but it's not. Besides, I'm sure you could find a better partner."

"…Okay dad…" Kurt sighed in defeat, sitting back in his chair. "But what about Blaine? He's been hanging out with Rachel even though he _knows_ she's out to ruin my life… and he's completely ignoring me for her. Shouldn't he want to spend time with me? I'm his _best friend_."

"Well, Kurt, it sounds to me like you're ignoring him too, especially seeing as you came home early just to get away from the kid." Kurt bit his lip at that, looking down at his lap where he was playing with his thumbs. "That Blaine kid needs some friends, be glad he's getting them. But if you're still not sure about what's going on between them, just ask. Although, I have a hard time believing that Rachel would cheat on Finn, especially in front of the whole school."

Kurt sighed, knowing his dad was right. "Okay dad, you're right… I'll talk to Blaine tomorrow." With a smile, Kurt stood up from his chair, and went down the stairs in a quick haste. Throwing himself on his bed, he groaned.

Why couldn't _anything_ be simple? He _wanted_ to talk to Blaine… but he couldn't. He was afraid that he would be right, that he liked Rachel more than him and would just ditch him for her. And so soon after Kurt had made it his goal to fix the kid, and Rachel just swoops down and tries to take that job from him.

Burying his head in his pillow, Kurt fell into a fitful sleep, trying to decide exactly what he should do. If only he knew what was going on inside of Blaine's had right then, and he'd be running over to the boy's house to apologize.

**A/N:** What will happen? Will Kurt forgive Blaine, or will he find a way to kill Rachel Berry by chopping up all of her internal origins and leaving her to be found at exactly 7:59 in the morning inside of a sewage pipe? Why was I so precise with that question? Why am I even _asking_ questions? The answers are -

- Well, the second isn't _possible_. Kurt's to fabulous to do the dirty work - he'd hire someone.

- I don't have a life. That's answer enough.

- ...same as above.

*sigh* I need a life. But not having one gives me time to read all the awesome, epicful fanfictions everyone writes!

redrosegal - YES! Only, my hair's shorter now D: I don't think we can curl it anymore... BUT I CAN SPIKE IT INTO A MOHAWK! I did today for school. But you and I would sing that song together all day long! :D

StarkidGleek4evs - :3

BloodyAphrodite - Shoot, thanks for catching that, fixed it ^^' And maybe a few subtle ones here and there... like someone eating redvines, or saying "totally awesome" seeing as that could happen in real life, and Sam _did_ say Totally Awesome in the season finale xD

TonyJ - Why thank you~

Annie24601 - I actually like Rachel too~ I can always just imagine her and Blaine getting along. Rachel really is a nice person, sometimes she's just a bit self-centered, but really, at times, everyone in the world is. Especially teenagers.

uriah cullen - I know how you feel, _trust_ me xD And same. I've read in some fanfictions where they are friends, and it makes sense to me. Rachel's always made out as this bitchy girl that only cares about herself, but there are times where she's really sweat and nice. Like in the end of '_Rumours'_. Her and Finn with Sam and stuff. So ya, I can see her trying to help out Blaine and stuff.

NicoleKennedy92 - Thanks! And my grammar really isn't that good... and I always spell grammar 'grammer', so my spelling is quite terrible as well. it just takes a lot of practice, and I've always enjoyed writing, plus I've got a great beta :3

PaigeTurner.x - Ya, I can see what you mean about them being kinda short. I just like getting them all written at once so I don't forget things, so I have to end them where I do or else I crash and likely forget things xD And don't worry, I suffer from the same problem! *dramatic sigh, hand over forehead* I believe I need an intervention or something of the sorts! But that would mean I'd have to give Klaine up... so I'm good xD

GleeFangurl721 - Thanks, and of course I'll continue, otherwise I'd be reading fanfictions so much my brain would turn to mush... at least this is somewhat productive :P

sonofafluffymuffin - Yes, I need more Klaine action... Do you know how hard it was not to have Kurt just run up to Blaine and snog him to death? D: And I miss the arrows... so hard to type without them. But they are used to open and close HTML codes, so they don't show up. And as you can see, he is _quite_ jealous. But I know eventually I'll get some HummelBerry friendship in. Eventually. And yes, Klaine will happen... I know how, just not yet _when_. We'll see when Blaine GETS HIS ACT TOGETHER AND SEES HOW MUCH HE LOVES KURT AND GOES AND CONFESSES AND THEY RUN OFF TO MY WORLD OF 'FOREGNIESE LAND' WHERE THE WATER IS PINK AND UNICORNS ROAM THE LAND! ... I really, _really_ need a life. By the way, I love your username xD

Aria657 - I agree with you on your Rachel-theory. Nobody gives her a chance. I mean, they change their views on everyone _else_ as they changed over the years, but they're all really rude to Rachel still. Another reason why I love Finn - he actually got to _know_ her. And yes, I hope it happens soon too D: But I don't really know... let's see where this takes me, shall I?

I love all of you, for the record. You're all totally awesome and deserve all the redvines in the world. I'm going to go eat my over-sized hershybar in the corner and pray that you all don't kill me for taking so long to update, yes yes? I'll try and get the next up soon, I PROMISE! I'm about half done the next chapter of my other story, so I'll start right afterwords!

Also, I have a tumblr. And I want to tell all of you, because I want to talk to all of you. And also, if any more problems occur like with redrosegal's word processor, I'll be able to tell all of you on there, as well as when I update chapters and such. So, anyways, here it is.

http:/ / joshuaashita . tumblr . com/

remove the spaces, yes yes?

Have an awesome however-long-it-takes-me-to-update! :D

~Joshua


	19. Chapter 19 Rain e

**A/N:** Once again, redrosegal's word processor crashed, so we have now resorted to google docs, and even _that_ doesn't always work for her. And it's currently two in the morning, and I want to go to sleep but I want to upload this, so I'm gonna make it fast. A bit more angst here... no surprise. Blaine-centric. I really need to pick up the pace... I'm still on duets xD Anyways, here you go~

* * *

Blaine watched Kurt leave the Spanish room, a gloom expression on his face. What did he mean by _'Why don't you ask Rachel?'_? Rachel had been with him all day, what could she have d- ohh.

_Ooh_.

Kurt thought he was ditching him for Rachel. That was the only thing he could think of. He hadn't _meant_ to be ignoring Kurt, he had _tried_ to go to the boy, but by then, the countertenor had been avoiding him. Like now.

But, he had just got so caught up in having someone _else_ who didn't mind being with the 'mute freak' that he hadn't paid attention to the fact that he had been with her _all day_. It had been nice having someone else talking to him, and him not having to feel awkward about not responding with anything but nods. Not to mention, Rachel seemed to like that she was always able to just talk and spill her heart out to Blaine without the other Gleek judging her. Blaine liked to listen to her. And so, he had hung out with his new friend that day. He hadn't meant to ditch Kurt, he really hadn't, but he hadn't really thought about the other boy's feelings at the time. In his opinion, though, he felt it wasn't entirely his fault. Kurt should have just _told _him he felt ignored, rather than ignoring him and faking illness. Blaine would have just apologized, and the two would be doing their Spanish work together as always.

But no, he was there alone with Mercedes, who shot a questioning glance in his direction that he just ignored and quickly went to work on his paper. Or, he _pretended_ to work. In reality, he was just thinking over the situation. Why was Kurt so… so _jealous_? He had a close connection to the boy, he was the only one he _ever_ spoke to. No, he hadn't spoken to Rachel, and _not_ just because they were in a crowded school. Ya, he liked the girl and all… but… he felt closer to Kurt than anyone else.

But if Kurt was so ready to just up and leave him over some stupid misunderstanding, maybe he'd made a mistake in trusting him. Too annoyed with himself, Kurt, and the rest of the world, he just snatched up his stuff and hastily shoved it in his bag, not caring if papers were folded or bent. He slung it over his shoulder, and walked out of the back exit of the room, ignoring Mr. Schuester's calls for him. He kept his eyes locked on the exit right down the hall, and walked over to it with purpose. He had his head high, and a light scowl crossed his face. His vision was blinded by rage, and anger. Was he really so easy to leave? Was that why his parents didn't care for him anymore?

Was he so easy to forget about?

And that's when his nightmare swept into his mind again. Himself fading into the shadows and being trapped in a white room. White – the colorless color. It was empty of everything. Most people thought black to be depressing, but black is truly the most colorful color there was. White… white was a base color. Sure, it looked well with other colors, but alone, it was just so… _blank_. Well, that explained why white in Spanish was 'Blanco'.

The color white had always been his least favorite color. His favorite having been black, though he would never admit it. If he said his favorite color was black, not only would he be called the 'gay emotionless fag', but 'emo' or 'goth' would likely be added to that ever growing list.

So being trapped in a white room, stuck as a shadow, was truly fearful for him. He had always feared just being a shadow of people's lives, never being noticed and just being there. And the situation at hand wasn't helping much. Without even noticing it, Blaine had made it home. His parents weren't there, which was a good thing, but that lead to a problem. Blaine was locked out. Sighing, he adjusted his shoulder strap, and made his way towards the park by the basketball court he'd gotten his black eye at. He knew there were benches there, and even just grass he could lay in. Maybe take a nap to get his mind off of things, or even just lay back to watch the clouds.

And then, just because life seems to _hate_ him, it started to rain. Clenching his teach, Blaine held back a scream, wanting so badly to release his pent up emotions. He felt angry, unwanted, upset, lonely. But most of all, he felt _selfish_.

Sure, Kurt had abandoned him, but sights could lay was blow over, couldn't they? And he had Rachel for now. But apparently, that wasn't enough for him. He had to want _more_. More, more, more. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he could ever trust Kurt again anyways. He should just relax, and get over it. Keep his voice inside his head, and not let it escape his lips again. Thank god he hadn't told Kurt the _whole_ story of what had happened to him. What the countertenor already knew was enough, and it was likely all he would ever know.

Blaine was through with Kurt, he was through with everyone. He didn't know who he could trust, who he _should_ trust. He didn't know if he could trust again. He felt betrayed, used, hurt. A part of him deep down was telling him that he _needed_ Kurt, that he was overreacting. But he ignored that part, thinking he was reacting just the right way. Thinking that his life was just a waste, and the longer he lived, the more he was suffering. He didn't see a point in living longer if he was just going to die one day anyways. He'd likely end up a high school dropout, living on the streets, or if he was lucky, his parent's house. He'd be abused for his sexuality all the time, and most of all, he'd be alone. He'd have no one for him, he would be lost.

Ignoring the rain that was now falling at a much quicker pace than before, Blaine collapsed onto his back as soon as he reached the field of the park. He placed his hands behind his head, and ignored the rain hitting his eyes as he looked up at the gray storm clouds. The pitter-patter of rain relaxed him a bit, allowing him to clear his mind. Or, _helped_ him to. A few thoughts still passed through his mind, mostly the thought of just giving up and ending it all. He'd contemplated it for a long time, but he knows – deep down – that he'll never go through with it. Suicide was giving up, surrendering.

And Blaine wanted to show everyone that he _wasn't_ weak, that he _could_ stand up for himself. That he was brave, that he had courage. That he had _something_, or someone, to live for. Someone who cared for him. And if Kurt had left him, he had Rachel now. Even if he would never speak to the girl, she was there.

At least, for now.

He really didn't believe that she'd stay. He had a hard time believing that _anyone_ would. He was screwed up, a mess. Why would anyone _want_ to stay with him? These thoughts filling his mind, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift over in the cold rain.

* * *

"Blaine? Blaine! Oh my God, Blaine, please, wake up!"

Blaine groaned lightly, rain still falling on his legs, but something was stopping it from hitting his head. Blinking his eyes open, the first thing he saw were bright, worried-looking, brown eyes staring down at his own. The second his eyes were open, arms were wrapped around him, brown hair in his face.

"Oh thank goodness you're okay, Blaine! Mercedes told me how you just up and left Spanish class, and I had a free period then anyways, so I went around looking for you. I'm just glad I guessed right about the park," she smiled at him, before lightly scowling and pointing a finger accusingly at him. "But why on earth are you out here sleeping in the _rain_? You could get pneumonia you know, which really isn't good for your voice when you decide you want to sing in Glee."

At the end, she was smiling at Blaine, which seemed to be contagious because Blaine smiled sleepily back up at her. When Rachel pulled back, Blaine yawned and pushed himself up, slowly getting up to his feet.

"Do you want me to take you home, Blaine? You can put in your address on my GPS if you want," Rachel offered, grabbing his arm and running towards her car in an attempt to get out of the rain. She turned to Blaine, catching him shaking his head, and frowned.

"Well, do you want to come to my place then? I'm sure my dad's wouldn't mind, they'd probably love you anyways. They seem to love anyone who I manage to bring over… they like to joke that they'll love anyone who can stand me, but I know they're just joking."

Blaine felt a pang in his heart as she described her father's antics, wishing he could tell stories like that about his _own_ parents. He simply nodded, and smiled gratefully. Pulling his arm free of Rachel's grip, he shook his head before getting quickly in to the passenger seat. Once he closed the door, he quickly realized just how cold he had actually been. His teeth began to chatter loudly, and he wrapped his shaky arms around himself as he shivered. Quickly noticing the boy's problem, Rachel turned on the heater to full blast, and pulled a blanket out from her back seat, handing it to Blaine.

"I always knew it was a good thing to keep that back there. Now, wrap it around you and buckle up, because even if I'm an _excellent_ driver, it's raining really hard and there's no guarantee a not-so-good driver won't hit _me_," she said strictly, backing out of her parking spot slowly.

Blaine quickly wrapped the thick, soft, red blanket around him, bucking himself up. His teeth continued to chatter, but as they drove, the intensity of it decreased, and he felt himself shaking less. He let out a sigh of relief as warmth filled his body. His soaked shirt slung to his body, feeling uncomfortable to him now as he was slowly starting to dry. His feet were likely the coldest of all, so he slipped his old sneakers off his feet, along with his socks, and pulled them up onto his seat, pulling part of the blanket over them.

The heat burned them a bit at first, but it still felt better than being cold.

"You okay Blaine? Warming up?" Rachel asked, turning quickly to him in order to see him nod, a small smile on his face. "So… Mercedes told me Kurt left too. Does that have anything to do with why you left?" No response. Blaine just looked out the window, not even responding.

"I'll take that as a yes…" Rachel murmured quietly to herself. If Blaine noticed, he said nothing, just continued to watch as rain hit the window.

The car ride remained silent, except for a few times when Rachel sand along to the radio she had turned on once the silence hit. After a little while of driving around, Rachel pulled up into her driveway and pulled her keys out.

"Well, the school day's pretty much over now, so there's no point in going back. I'll grab you some of my dad's clothes for you to change into, and you can take a warm shower, okay?" she said, opening up her door. Blaine nodded, slipping his feet back into his cold, wet shoes, and picking up the socks, leaving the blanket behind in the seat as he jumped out and ran towards the door.

Rachel's shivering hands fumbled with her house key for a minute before finally opening the door and walking in, pulling her yellow raincoat off, and hanging it on a small coat hanger by the door. She began to walk and motioned for Blaine to fallow.

"The bathroom is right here," she said, stopping at a door and pushing it open. "Just leave your clothes on the floor, I'll wash them right up for you. I'll grab a pair of my dad's old sweatpants and a shirt for you to wear until yours are in a wearable condition again. I'll leave them right there," she pointed in the direction of a small basket that Blaine guessed was a clothes hamper.

"When you're done, I'll be in my room, the one at the end of the hall." She gave him a brief smile before leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek. Ruffling his hair, Rachel smiled at him again before saying, "by the way, you're hair looks nice un-gelled like this." And with that, she walked out, leaving Blaine to take his shower in peace.

* * *

Blaine hesitated a minute before knocking on Rachel's bedroom door. During his shower, all the thoughts he had thought about in the park had flooded back into his memory. He felt scared that Rachel would just kick him back out into the rain if he did something wrong, so he didn't want to disturb her, but she _did_ say to come in after he was done.

The second he knocked, he heard a 'come in!' fallowed by some humming. Opening the door slowly, he looked in to see Rachel lying on her stomach in white, polka-dotted pajamas of many colors on her bed. Her feet moved back and forth as she looked down at music sheets in front of her, presumably her Glee assignment.

Blaine shook his hair back a bit, trying to get the damp – and slightly dripping – curls out of his eyes. Rachel looked up at him and smiled, looking right back down at her music. She scanned a few lines before putting it down on the bottom of her bed, and sitting up.

"Sorry, I was just looking over my song choice for Glee this week," she said, smiling. '_Knew it._' "But I think I'm all set now. Well, I was all set _before_, but you can never be too prepared for a performance!" she said, grinning. Blaine simply nodded, and took a seat in the chair at her desk.

Frowning at the boy's sullen expression, Rachel asked, "Blaine? Is everything alright?"

He shook his head, not even bothering to lie.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook it again.

Rachel looked down at her lap, feeling rejected. "Oh… okay. But, I'm here if you change your mind, okay?" She looked up at him, smiling, and Blaine gave a small smile back, only one corner of his mouth flicking upwards as he nodded.

"If you want to, you can come here and take a nap. I'm sure my dad's wouldn't mind if you wanted to stay here for the night," she said, patting the spot beside her on her overly-large king sized bed. Blaine yawned, suddenly remembering how tired he was, and nodded with a small smile. Rachel grinned, and scooted over a bit to make more space for Blaine.

Crawling under the blanket and cuddling up into it in an attempt to stay warm, Blaine let his thoughts take over his mind. Thoughts of white, shadows, loneliness, pain, rejection, ignorance, and most of all, Kurt.

He honestly didn't know if he could face him again after he made him feel so unwanted.

* * *

**A/N:** Here we go~ And guess what? IT'S ALMOST MY BIRTHDAY. It's Tuesday, the 21st. My school has a field trip to an amusement park that day. Shall be fun. But will lead in me being wiped out. And I've got a bat mitzvah to go to tomorrow. So I'll make sure to get a chapter typed up Monday. My school doesn't end until Thursday, and that Friday I'm going to sixflags. Sooo, I'm pretty much busy until the next week. But I'll do my best!

sonofafluffymuffin - well, I'm too lazy to get a life anyways, so no worries there xD Fanfiction is my life, pretty much xDD And no I'm noooot, I have no personality xD Or talent xD I'm a boring-full person, really xD But thank you, anyways~ Merlin, I need to learn to accept compliments better... Foregniese is pronounced Foreign - ease. Like how you call a foreign language foregniese. It is wonderful! I'll take you there with me! :D

EunHee Kim - Yus yus, jealous Kurt is fun 3

Aria657 - Of course it is! And so is the Hershey Bar - Ron's giant hershey bar when he's upset about Hermione xD And ya, Finn can be a bit... ignorant sometimes xD And let's face it, Kurt's got a pretty bad temper, that's not possible xD

Sarahamanda - Thank you :3

agleekinfreakingirl - Aww, thank you :3

Well, I'm going to go sleep. I'll write on my ipod at the party tomorrow, try to get some stuff done xD So, have a good night... or morning. It's 2:12. G'night!

~Joshua 


	20. Chapter 20 A Very Klaine Reunion

**A/N:** Um... wow... delay much? Almost a month... I feel bad. Really, _really_ bad. But, there's a surprise here to make up for it? And a week time-skip. So stuff happens. Not a lot. But stuff. And the chapters short, but the story has almost 50,000 words, so I'm proud.

And thank you to the wonderful, _overzealous _**redrosegal** for quickly editing this chapter in like, 10 minutes, so I could get this up and publish it ASAP. Because I feel bad. And I don't have any excuses except for camp tiring me out and me being tired all. the. time. But, ya, enjoy.

Because I know you'll like part of it.

* * *

The week passed by in a flash for Kurt. And not once did he catch a sign of Blaine. The duets were done, Kurt having had to complete his on his own. _Le Jazz Hot_, a personal favorite of his, but everyone could notice that it was off. Not full of as much passion and joy as a Hummel performance usually was.

At first, he just thought he was _angry_ at Blaine. That had to be it, didn't it? He had come to school _completely_ ready to talk to Blaine, and he ditched. There could be no other explanation for Blaine's absence – he had seemed perfectly healthy the day before.

But as the days went by, Kurt finally realized come Friday that he _missed_ the little Hobbit (as the rest of Glee had come to call him). And just as he had decided he was going to look for him, the last person he wanted to talk to (okay, maybe the school Neanderthals topped her on that list, but she was still pretty high up on there) came up to him.

Normally, he would have ignored her and just kept walking, but worry was clear in her red-rimmed eyes, a few dried tear-tracks on her face.

"K-Kurt!" she shouted, almost running him over. "I-I can't find Blaine _anywhere!_"  
Kurt just rolled his eyes. Had Blaine's new best friend (he wanted to retch just at the thought) really _just_ noticed his absence?

"Newsflash, Rachel, Blaine's been gone all week. _No one_ knows where he is." He was about ready to keep walking towards the exit of the school when Rachel grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"N-no… he was staying at my house all week… he'd… I found him in the park during that storm earlier in the week… he didn't want to go home, so my dads said it was okay for him to stay as long as he wanted, so long as his parents knew…" Rachel sniffled a bit, wiping her eyes, before continuing, "but when I went home for lunch to check on him… he was gone. And I… I can't find him _anywhere_. Not at the park, the school, the coffee shop,_anywhere_."

Worry filled Kurt instantly. Blaine was _gone_? Without any notice? Sure, he had been missing earlier too, but at the time Kurt was pretty positive he was just at home. But now… now he knew that she had up and left his 'best friend's' house without leaving a note or anything.

Next, anger filled him. Rachel had known _all week_ where Blaine had been, and yet when people brought it up in Glee club, she left him to try and tell everyone that he had no clue where he was. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself, for the sake of finding Blaine.

"Is it possible he went home?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice calm as his emotions battled against one another, one trying to stand out more than the other.

"I-I don't think so… he seemed pretty determined not to…" Rachel said, her tears having stopped now as she rubbed her eyes. Kurt thought it over, looking at the ceiling for a few minutes, before turning back to Rachel and holding out his hand.

"Let's go look."

* * *

The next two hours were spent driving around Lima with Rachel. But now, it was five o'clock on a Friday, and Kurt knew he had to go back to his house for Friday night dinner. But he couldn't help but worry. About twenty minutes after they'd set of searching, it had starting raining for the umpteenth time that week.

And despite Kurt's twelve tries at calling his father, he couldn't reach him once. He'd already left work, and he wasn't picking up the house phone. So he _had_ to go home, if just to tell his father he'd be going back out again.

So that's what lead to Kurt pulling into his driveway around fifteen minutes after dropping Rachel back off at her own house. Sighing, he made his way out of his car and unconsciously made his way towards his front door. He didn't even notice as he slipped his key into the door, and almost missed the note tapped to his front door.

'_Kurt-_

_Needed to run out and sort some things out with the suppliers. Be around 20 minutes late. Sorry, son, I'll make it up to ya._

_-Burt'_

Sighing, Kurt crumpled up his note and tossed it into the trash when he entered the kitchen. The normally happy and cunning teen sat down at the table set for two, and placed his head on his crossed arms. Finn and Carole had taken to joining the Hummel's for dinner for a while, especially considering the fact that the two adults seemed to be getting closer as the days went by.

But that night, Carole had to go and meet with Finn's English teacher to discuss some extra credit that would keep him from failing, or as Finn would phrase it, keep him on the football team. So that night, it was meant to be just Kurt and Burt. Which, Kurt had to admit, he had been looking forward to – he liked to spend some quality father-son time with his dad, which seemed to be happening more between Finn and Burt rather than _him_ and Burt. And it really would've been something to cheer him up from Blaine's absence.

And now there was nothing to distract him from Blaine. For all he knew, Blaine had fled town or something, all because he was being selfish and wanted to keep him all to himself. Or maybe Kurt had been right all alone, and his parents had done something _awful_ to him when they found out he hadn't returned home. Rachel _did _say he didn't want to go home. Maybe he'd been to scared.

Oh shit… oh shit, shit, shitty shit, _shit_.

Blaine could be in _grave danger_, and he was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Realizing this, he hopped up from his seat and ran towards the door. His dad would just have to deal with his absence for a little while – he'd been late anyways.

He quickly ran towards the door, his jacket half on, and yanked it open, only to stop straight in his path when he saw someone standing at the door, shivering, hand held up as though they were about to knock. Kurt gasped, releasing the half of his jacket he was working on putting on.

"B-blaine…"

In front of him, Blaine stood, teeth chattering and arms now wrapped around himself. He refused to make eye contact with Kurt, and his hair and white (mud stained) t-shirt were completely soaked. His feet were bare, and red from the cold, and it didn't help that his jeans that _would_ have helped keep them warm from their length were wet and dripping.

Kurt stared at him for around a minute, Blaine doing his best to avoid eye contact as he continued to shiver. A loud sneeze snapped Kurt from his reverie, and he quickly shut his mouth and forcefully shoved Blaine in through the door.  
And the first thing he did from there was pull him into a tight hug, completely shocking the shorter boy.

"Blaine, I'm so sorry… are you okay? I didn't mean to act so… _selfish_," Kurt mumbled into Blaine's shoulder. Blaine simply nodded and bit his lip. "It's just… you… and Rachel… well, I thought you were going to leave me for her," he sniffled slightly, not even realizing that he had started to cry. "I was just being jealous… and self centered…" By now, his voice was quiet and just above a mutter, seeing as he hardly wanted to admit these things about himself. But if it could make Blaine see how sorry he was, he'd do it.

When he felt no reply, he let go of Blaine and backed up. Blaine hadn't moved once, his arms still wrapped around himself as he shivered and looked off into the distance – currently out the window across from him that showed a nice view… of the storm he'd been stuck in for the past few hours. Kurt shuddered at the thought.

But right now, there were more important things to worry about. Like, why Blaine seemed so transfixed on a window and wasn't paying attention at all to his apology… or, anything for that matter.

"Blaine?" asked Kurt. "Blaaaine." After waving his hand in front of the boy's face, he placed both his hands on his hips and tapped his foot. "**BLAINE!**" he shouted, finally snapping him out of his trance. He turned to face Kurt, doing his best not to look him in the eye. Sighing, Kurt dropped his arms and head.

"Are you okay, Blaine?" After receiving a slight nod, Kurt continued. "Where have you been? Rachel was so worried about you!" Looking down, he muttered "And so was I…"  
Blaine bit his lip and looked down. Smiling slightly, Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine again.

"If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to," he mumbled into his wet clothing. Stepping back and shaking his now damp hands, he laughed slightly. "And I guess I'd better get you a change of clothes," he joked, causing Blaine to laugh slightly.

Smiling, Kurt told him to wait as he ran up to his room to grab a change of clothing. Pulling out an old pair of sweatpants (he refused to admit he had them – his dad had bought them for him as a joke some time back) that hopefully wouldn't be too big on him, and a large, deep purple shirt with long sleeves.

"Here you are," he smiled, handing over the clothing to a dripping-wet Blaine who smiled gratefully before heading off to the bathroom to change. Kurt smiled as he watched him walk off, only remembering Rachel once the door was closed. Pulling out his cell phone, he shot a quick text to the overzealous diva.

'_Rach, found Blaine. He's at my house, I'll let you know if you should come by. –Kurt'_

He _had_ to add the last part, or else Rachel surely would have immediately come over and obsessed over the boy. And, considering the fact that Blaine had yet to utter a single word, that _really_ wouldn't help.

Not bothering to want to read any five-page-long text response from Rachel full of questions that he really couldn't answer, he switched his phone off and put it on the table. Leaning back on the couch, he waited patiently – or, as patiently as he possibly could manage, considering he _was _Kurt Hummel – for Blaine to finish changing, which really didn't take too long.

Just two minutes later, Blaine came out with a small smile on his face, and overly-large clothing on his body. The pants fit okay-ish, but the shirt sleeves went past his hands. His attempts at rolling them up failed, seeing as they would just fall back down. The bottom of the shirt went to a bit above his knees, and the shirt didn't even look as though it would fit Kurt. The collar was also to big, exposing the top part of his chest (and a small bit of chest hair), causing Kurt to blush slightly.

Giving up on the sleeves, Blaine flailed his arms slightly, causing Kurt to laugh. Blaine chuckled slightly, shaking his wrists a little bit. Sitting down beside Kurt, he put his hands in his lap and leaned his head against Kurt, falling asleep almost instantly. Kurt smiled and stroked his damp, curly hair, his fingers occasionally getting caught in a knot that he would gently pull out.

"Kurt, I'm back! What's for dinne-"

Burt stopped when he heard a loud shushing noise coming from the living room, and walked in to see Blaine curled up against his son. Raising an eyebrow at the two, Burt could honestly admit that he was confused. From what Kurt had told him, Blaine hadn't been in school all week, and Kurt had seemed upset about him. But he'd long ago learned that it was too hard to understand what went on in a teenagers mind.

"Um, I'll just uh… go finish up dinner. Tell Blaine he's welcome to stay if he'd like." And with that, Burt rushed out of the room to – attempt to – make Friday Night Dinner.

Kurt laughed slightly, and leaned his head against Blaine's, wrapping his arm around the boy. With a sigh, Kurt closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep alongside Blaine.

* * *

Dinner had been remotely quiet, especially considering the fact that Friday Night Dinner's were usually full of chatter between father and son, and occasionally Burt's seriously-involved-girlfriend and Kurt's almost-step-brother.

But tonight, the only sound was of forks scraping against plates as they ate their spaghetti.

Blaine kept his eyes trained on his food, only looking up to smile his thanks at Burt before he sat down. Kurt kept his eyes down as well, only he often glanced over at Blaine, much to Burt's enjoyment. Burt, on the other hand, kept his eyes on both boys, not even trying to hide it.

Both boys finished eating at exactly the same time. Kurt grabbed both plates and quickly dropped them in the sink before grabbing Blaine by the (overly-long) sleeve and pulling him towards the stairs, causing him to stumble slightly.

"We're gonna go start on our homework, dad!" Kurt called, knowing it was an _awful_ excuse seeing as Blaine didn't even have his backpack, and Kurt always did his homework during and between classes, but he needed _any_ excuse to get his dad to leave them alone.

"Okay, Blaine, spill it. Where have you been!" he asked the second Blaine sat down on his bed.

The smaller teen looked down at his hands that were currently fidgeting in his lap, and Kurt sighed. "I know you were at Rachel's earlier, but she told me you just up and left. So, what happened?"

"I left," Blaine muttered, quickly turning his head to look out the window. Kurt groaned and sat next to him.

"I got that much," he said, sarcastically. "But where'd you leave _to_!"

Kurt glared lightly at Blaine, who was still refusing to look at him. And he got no. response. what. so. ever. Groaning, Kurt stood up and threw his hands in the air.

"Okay, Blaine. Fine. Don't talk. But I can't help you if you don't!" Blaine looked back down at his hands, playing with his fingers. Another groan came from Kurt before the boy fell back down on his bed.

"I just… can't," Blaine whispered, refusing to look up, or over at Kurt for that matter. Relaxing a bit, Kurt slowly sat up, leaning against his hands. He picked one his hands up, and gently placed his hand on the other boy's cheek. He gently stroked Blaine's cheek before speaking.

"It's okay Blaine, you can tell me anything. You can trust me. I promise."  
Blaine finally looked up, staring into Kurt's eyes. Kurt slowly stopped rubbing his thumb across the other boy's cheek, getting lost in the hazel-brown eyes before him. Slowly, he began to lean in, and when Blaine made no movement to move away, he pressed his lips softly to the others.

The kiss was better than he could have imagined, even if Blaine hadn't responded yet. The feel of Blaine's slightly chapped lips against his own felt like heaven, and he could die right now and still be happy.

After a few seconds of his lips just gently pressed against the other boy's with no movement, Blaine began to respond. He leaned into Kurt, and wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist, shifting closer to him. Kurt moved his arms, gently wrapping them around Blaine's neck.

Oh yes, Kurt could die now and still be the happiest man alive.

* * *

**A/N:** Har har. There. That really wasn't going to happen then. I was going to fix Blaine up more before it happened, but redrosegal was complaining to me about lack of Klaine, and I've gotten some reviews about people wanting some Klaine. So, Klaine. There. And you have no idea what will happen next, considering it's me. They could continue kissing, of Blaine could run out, of they could spontaneously explode. Considering it's me, you _really_ don't know. I didn't even know this was going to happen until I got to Kurt comforting Blaine, and wanted to make him stroke his cheek, and I'm like 'oh, look, they should kiss here' and redrosegal's like 'YES! DO IT!'... I'm paraphrasing there.

But I wrote most of this today. Except the beginning. I wrote the first 500 words two weeks ago...

uriah cullen - aww, he's not stupid, just... not smart? And thank you xD

this is my favorite story - Thank you soo much :3 That really means a lot to me. And... I do too. I imagine him as a little kid a lot, I have to randomly snap out and delete stuff so he seems a bit more like a teenager xD And yes. You DON'T know what will happen next *evil face and laugh* Even if you knew me in real life, that would just make you _more_ confused as to what would happen next. I like being confusing and random. It's quite fun.

Sarahamanda - Why thank you! :3 Sorry for the wait... ^^'

moodleklaine - back when I first wrote the nightmare scene, I gave my friend nightmares :3 She thinks I'd write a good horror story... but she'd be too afraid to read it. But thank you xD And Tori's my friend in real life, so I hope I know her well xD And it's okay, I don't remind you reviewing multiple times in one day xD And I most certainly am a Starkid fan. I have the pink starkid glasses, and _really_ want the headband in fact. And some of their songs on my iPod... I want the rest. *notes that to self*

Annie24601 - I can't keep them angry at each other long, even me being... me, and full of angst, I just can't. Instead, I do this. And yes, Rachel/Blaine is very fun *heart* I think they really would be good friends though, I hope they have some of it in season 3...

LopeDogg - Well, happy belated birthday to you then! :3 And pssh, I can't keep them angry long, even if I _am_ full of angst. Just... not possible.

PaigeTurner.x - Aww *blush* thank you :3 *heart* And YES! I wish I had time to watch all of them, but I'm so busy *cough-sleeping-cough*. But, the last one in Dublin? PLEASE tell me you've seen it?

Aria657 - It's okay, I forget starkid references all the time xDD It's all Kurt's fault. And Blaine's fault. There diva-ness... It's totally not _my_ fault. Of course not. Pssh... And yes, yes he is a little emo, suicidal Blaine. *Ron's-hand-thing* STUPID EMO BOY!

DommyDom - Aww, thank you, really :3 That makes me really happy to read, because I really love writing, but I _**never**_ feel satisfied with my work. I always think it's _terrible_, and then people yell at me for insulting myself xD And yay! I like reminding people of people! :D Would they ahppen to be crazy, hyper, and oddly random? Because that's how my friends describe me most of the time xD

GleeFangurl721 - *hides* DON'T KILL ME!

Zerakym - Why thank you :3

There. Done. Finally. I hope you enjoyed. I will update as soon as I can... I'm just working on figuring out on what I'm doing for school right now. Our house isn't selling, so I'm looking into figuring out if my area takes online courses. My mom's calling the schools while I'm at camp tomorrow. And I'll try and write a bit on the bus. It's an hour to camp, and an hour back, but I'm a CIT so I have to keep my eye on the small 4-year-olds on the bus. And my friends don't. shut. up. Like, ever. EVER.

Anyways, sorry it's a short chapter. I was aiming for 3,300 to bring me to exactly 50,000 words (not including authors notes) but I HAD to end it there.

Have a great week!  
~Josh


	21. Chapter 21 Bloody Memories

**A/N:**Dang it, a day late. I actually finished this at 1 AM this morning... and forgot to send it to my beta. My bad.

Anyways, I really could use your guys opinions on what I should have happen. Just... read the bottom authors note, I've got some questions for you all. And enjoy. And as you guys can probably tell from the chapter title, ANOTHER FLASHBACK THIS CHAPTER! YAY! I love developing Blaine's past. Even if it's terrible. This is, I love angst. And thus, I love making characters suffer... and, I'm rambling. If anyone actually _reads_ these rambles, you can have a cookie.

ALSO, I really just have to say... wow.

That's it. Wow.

I can't believe I've actually gotten past 50,000 words with this story. Not including the authors notes, I'd say I had around 52,000-53,000. I have a document of the full story and haven't added this chapter yet, but it'd be around there. Not positive. But, back on topic, this is the most I've ever written for a story. I usually give up by now. But I want to thank all of my reads that have encouraged me to continue, or I'd have likely lost inspiration.

I currently have 166 reviews, 39,026 hits, 142 favorites, and 295 alerts. That honestly _amazes_ me. I just want to say thank you to all of you for being really supportive and putting up with my terrible updating schedual! I'm really doing my best to update every other day again. And let's pretend I uploaded this yesterday... I'll have another chapter up tomorrow, or, I'll do my best. Not sure. Depends on if I fall asleep again, and if Redrosegal's internet works at her Grandma's. *prays to grilled cheezus and merlin it does*

Well, I'm done my rambling now! :D Enjoy~

* * *

Their lips fit together perfectly, as though they were two pieces to a puzzle. And as cliché as it was, Kurt really felt that it was true. He felt… complete this way, with Blaine's lips on his. As though it was _meant_ to be this way. And it made him feel perfect.

The kiss wasn't anything intense – passionate and full of love, yes, but Kurt wasn't comfortable doing something like shoving his tongue down another guy's throat (the thought made him shiver a bit). To Kurt, it was wonderful and amazing just like this. Just a few soft pecks to the other's lips, and their lips moving softly against each other.

But of course, nothing good can last forever. And it seemed, especially not for Kurt.

They stayed together for what felt like a lifetime to Kurt, both boys taking in the feeling of their lips being pressed softly against the others, their eyes closed. Their hands didn't move from their positions, Blaine's staying around Kurt's waist, Kurt's around Blaine's neck.

Kurt then moved his right hand to play with the bottom of Blaine's hair, not noticing how Blaine tensed slightly at the action. But when he moved it fully up, his fingers twining into the others hair, Blaine took a sharp intake of breath, and pulled back harshly, scrambling up against the headboard of Kurt's bed.

Hands dropping down, Kurt watched Blaine' retreating form, internally scolding himself. '_Your such an idiot, why would you do that! Now you probably lost the best friendship you've ever had with a guy'_. Making a move towards the boy who now had his arms wrapped around his legs, pulling them close to his face, Blaine's head lifted to look at Kurt, fear visible in his eyes.

The moment Kurt made to move towards Blaine, feeling concerned for him, Blaine hopped off of the bed, heading towards the door. Or… more like _sprinting_ towards the door. He stumbled slightly, falling against the door before he could actually pull it open. Wincing, he pushed back and made to open the door when an arm grabbed his.

Spinning around, Blaine yanked his arm out of Kurt's grip, shaking slightly. Shocked, Kurt backs up, holding his hands in the air, and wincing slightly at Blaine's reaction. Moments ago, he felt like the king of the world… now, it felt like everything had been ripped away from him.

And it had, by the one person who actually made him feel _that_ good.

But at the moment, he found it somewhat hard to care about himself. Looking at Blaine's hands shaking as they attempted to pull open the door, his frown deepened. Blaine's hands were too shaky and sweaty to even successfully turn the knob. Taking in a deep breath, Kurt moved forward and placed his hand on Blaine's shoulder.

The response was _anything_ but good.

Blaine turned around, shoving Kurt into the wall beside the door, and made a run for the window by Kurt's bed. Throwing it open, he managed to easily maneuver himself onto the closest branch and hop down, making his way to run down the street threw the rain, sobs raking his body.

Kurt watched everything happen, shocked. He winced as he stood up straight again, clutching his left arm. Despite Blaine being small, he was _really _strong. Moving his hand up to his head, he clutched the bridge of his nose as tears began to flow from his eyes. His head hurt from the impact against the wall, and his shoulder felt like it might have been dislocated, but he didn't care.

Sure, Kurt had been rejected before, but not like _that_, and not after he had kissed them. The silent boy had gotten his hopes up, only to knock them back down so quickly. He had taken Kurt's first-kiss-that-counted, and made it something he thought he'd _never_ want to remember… if only because what happened afterwards would be enough to make him cry, even thirty years from now.

Kurt had felt everything all those sappy romance novels he read had talked about. The weird butterflies in his stomach, the fireworks, the feeling that nothing could ever be better. But… from what he could tell, Blaine hadn't. No, Blaine had seemed _ashamed_ in himself for kissing him. He seemed as though it was the worst thing he had ever done. He couldn't even open up the freaking door knob, he was shaking so much.

Feeling defeated, Kurt re-gripped his arm and made his way over to his bed, only to remember that that was where it had all started. The thought only made him sob harder. So instead, he just collapsed onto the cold, hardwood flooring of his bedroom and cried himself to sleep.

* * *

The dark-haired boy continued to run, arms wrapped around his body, and rain making it hard to tell he was crying. His bare feet slammed hard against the cool, hard pavement, stray pebbles occasionally banging against his skin. His feet ached, and he felt lightheaded from sobbing, but he didn't know where to go. He'd gone to Kurt's because he had told him he could always go there… but now he was trying to get _away_ from Kurt.

Before he could even figure out how he managed to get there, he found himself outside the Berry home, ringing the doorbell. His arms were wrapped around himself, his head down as he willed the tears to stop falling. He felt like such an _idiot_, but he just needed to get out of there. He just had to.

After a moment, he heard footsteps coming up to the door. He kept his head down as a smiling Hiram Berry took one look at him and frowned, pulling him inside. He wrapped an arm around Blaine, walking him over to the main room and calling down Rachel.

"Oh, Blaine, are you okay?" he asked, Leroy walking in at hearing his husband's frantic shout for their daughter. Leroy took one look at Blaine and ran upstairs to grab a towel and a spare change of his clothing, seeing as the pair that he had borrowed from Kurt was now thoroughly soaked from both tears and the rain. "What happened to you? You were just up and… gone this morning."

Hiram hadn't expected an answer, and simply sat down next to the boy, rubbing his shoulders in an attempt to warm him up.

But Blaine didn't feel cold. More than anything, he felt numb. He didn't look up when Rachel frantically ran down the stairs, questions running from her mouth, or when Leroy wrapped a warm, dry towel around him. He didn't accept the clothes he was handed, and he didn't even try to listen to the family that had welcomed him in.

After a little while, the whole of the Berry family grew quiet – even Rachel. Everyone simply sat around Blaine, who currently was lying down with his head in Hiram's lap. While he had stayed with the Berry's he had grown closer to them than he ever had his own family. They felt more like his family to him than his own. And honestly, he was happy about that. He didn't _want_ to consider his family his family. And despite what many people may say about them having brought him into this world and given him shelter, he didn't care.

They may be his mother and his father, but they'd never be his mom and his dad.

Sure, _biologically_, they were his parents. He couldn't deny that, unless they had adopted him or something, but he highly doubted that – he was an almost exact replica of his dad, but got his curly hair from his mom. But, to him, they would never _truly_ be his family.

If you went by the definition of 'A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household', then sure, they were a family. But to Blaine, a family was a group of people who unconditionally cared for one another. The Berry's had taken him in, no questions asked. They didn't scold him for leaving without telling them, or try and pry out information he didn't want to tell. They let him cry silently until he drifted off to sleep, too tired and empty to do anything else.

* * *

Kurt woke up two hours later to a knock on the door. He quickly scrambled off of the floor, trying his best not to remember why he had fallen asleep there. But of course, the second he woke up, everything flooded back into his mind, making him want to cry again.

Sniffling a bit, he quickly did his best to compose himself before going and opening the door.

"Hey Kurt, is Blaine stayin' the night, or does he need a ride ho-…" Burt stopped when he looked around the room, raising an eyebrow. "Wait a second, where is that kid?"

Kurt sniffled again, wrapping his arms around him. "Gone," he mumbled, looking back over towards the window, the image of a scared Blaine jumping to the tree right outside of it fresh in his mind. His dad fallowed his line of vision, a shocked expression on his face.

"Woah, woah, woah. Are you saying he jumped from the second story window?" he asked, disbelief in his voice. Without turning around, Kurt nodded his head and walked over towards the window, closing it and the curtain. There was a small puddle of rain on his floor now, and the windowsill was soaked.

The rain had lessened, but as Kurt looked out the window, a crash of thunder could be heard in the distance, followed by a bolt of lightning. The teen rested his elbow on the cold wood, his head in his hand and watched the light flash in the sky.

Worried, Burt made his way over, almost slipping on the water. "Is everything okay, kid?" he asked, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. No answer. "I'll take that as a no…" he mumbled quietly to himself, before saying louder, "Anything I can do?"

Kurt simply slid his head in his hand to look down and frowned. "Not unless you can turn back time," he whispered, not even caring if his father heard him. Pushing gently past his father, he shakily walked over to his bed and collapsed. Sighing, Burt fallowed and sat at the edge like he use to when Kurt was sick as a kid.

"Kurt, you're scaring me here, kiddo. What happened after you guys came upstairs? Did you guys have a fight or something?" Kurt simply slipped under his blanket, throwing it over his head and mumbled a quiet 'go away'. Sighing, Burt stood up and made to exit the room. When he reached the stairs that led to the door, he turned around and frowned at his son.

"I'll be in the living room if you wanna talk, okay? I'm worried about you, Kurt, and who knows, maybe I can actually help ya. But I can't unless you talk to me." And with that, he made his way back upstairs and lay down on the couch, Kurt being in the front most of his mind as he watched the football game.

* * *

_Laughing, Blaine turned towards the boy next to him and smiled as they walked out of the school auditorium._

"_Thanks for coming with me, Ethan. I actually had a _really_ good time tonight," he smiled, his arm hooked around the other boy's. Ethan had short, brown hair that was brushed completely forward, his bangs reaching down to just above his eyes. There were a few blond-ish streaks in his hair, and the moon made his hair seem to be tinted auburn._

_The two were both dressed in similar looking suits. They were the classic black suits, black pants, the only difference being their ties. While Ethan had on a thin black tie, Blaine had decided to go with a hot pink one as a joke between him and his only friend at school. He also had on the hot pink sunglasses he had gotten him for his last birthday, him and Ethan both trying to tick of the homophobes of their school as much as possible._

_Pulling the sunglasses off with his free hand, he tucked them into his pocket and the two made their way over to the parking lot. Ethan's dad had offered to pick the two up, Blaine claiming his parents had work when in reality, they didn't even know he'd left. _'Not that they'd care if they knew I'd left without permission'_ he thought, annoyed._

"_You okay, Blaine?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. Blaine quickly realized he'd been scowling, and smiled softly at him._

"_Yeah, sorry, just spaced out for a second," he answered. Ethan knew by now not to pry into Blaine's life. The other boy was pretty quiet, and Ethan had quickly learned not to even try to get more information than Blaine would tell you free-handedly; he'd simply give you the cold shoulder until you changed the subject._

"_Who knew we'd actually have _fun_ at a Sadie Hawkins dance," Ethan joked, trying to lighten the mood. He heard Blaine chuckle beside him, but the sound was quickly drowned out by a deeper laugh._

"_Oh, I dunno, there's still time to change that. The night's not ever yet."_

_Both boys dropped each others arms before simultaneously spinning around in fear. When they saw more than half the football team there, the two began to back up, not able to take their eyes off of the group._

_The members of the group that usually wore dark-blue Letterman jackets were currently all wearing different colored dress shirts that ranged from white (like Blaine and Ethan) to the school's dark blue coloring, to blood red._

_And of course, the quarterback and leader of the group was wearing a blood red shirt, which kind of scared the _shit_ out of the two boys._

_Most of the team's suit coats lay forgotten a few feet back. A few still had them on, and Max – the quarterback – had his slung over his shoulder. They all had wicked smirks on their faces, the group behind him looking as though they were tigers, waiting to pounce on their pray. Max held one of his arms out, signaling for the group to wait as he walked forward._

_Before either of them could move, Max dropped his jacket and grabbed both of their ties. Blaine looked down at the fist that gripped his tie as it slowly moved upwards, gripping the knot. Ethan was currently in the same position as Blaine, and Max was just smirking wickedly as the team took a few steps forward, the left tackle grabbing Blaine's shoulders and the wide receiver grabbing Ethan's._

_Blaine began to shake a bit, causing Max and the others to laugh. "Aww, poor little Anderson want his mommy and daddy to come save him?" Max cooed jokingly as he pulled on his tie to look him straight in the eyes, the sneer evident on his face. Blaine tried to pull out of their grasp and punch Max in his face, causing the boy to flinch back slightly before laughing._

"_Oh that's right, little Blainey-baby's parents don't want to deal with a little fag like him, do they?" Blaine growled in response. Blaine's parents never got involved with anything in school, not even when he was a kid. When he was younger, people thought it was just because they were busy with work, but when he came out… they thought it was because he was gay._

"_Leave him alone, Maxwell!" Ethan shouted, a small smirk on his own face. Max dropped Blaine's tie, instead moving in on Ethan._

"_What, defending your little _boyfriend_ now, are you, Collins?" he growled, reaching up to grab Ethan's hair and yank it backwards. Ethan winced a bit, but didn't make any noises of pain, which made Max growl. "You wanna play, huh, Collins?" And with that, Max drew back his fist and punched Ethan straight in the face._

_The Wide Receiver – James – dropped Ethan and let him fall to the ground, clutching his now bleeding nose. The ring on Max's hand had also sliced his upper lip. Max knelt down in front of Ethan and smirked._

"_You guys go teach Collin's here a lesson. Luke and I've got Ander-shit here." Standing up, he gave Ethan a harsh kick in the ribs, causing the boy to groan. The team went over and hoisted Ethan up by his arms, dragging him to the other side of the parking lot causing Blaine to shout out for the first time since the attack started._

"_Stop it! Leave him alone! Ethan! ETHA-" Blaine was cut off when a fist made contact with his head. Luke – the left tackle – held Blaine still as Max's fist made contact with the side of his head, the emerald ring slicing his head effectively. Blaine screamed out in pain, which just made Max grin._

_Luckily, before Max could do anything else, the sound of a car was heard. The lights shinned towards Blaine as he groaned, feeling faint. Without even touching it, he knew there was blood. He could feel it running from a bit behind his ear to the back of his head._

"_Run!" Max shouted to the other group beating on Ethan. Luke quickly dropped Blaine to the ground, who groaned in pain. He tried to move to sit up, but his arms couldn't support him and he dropped back down. He heard footsteps running over to him, and the sound of what he thought was Ethan's dad._

"_Hello? 911? Yes, I need you to hurr –"_

_The rest of the conversation was a blur to Blaine, who was doing his best to stay awake. The more time that went by, the harder that mission was. After what felt like hours, Mr. Collins knelt down next to Blaine, and held his head up._

"_Stay awake for me, okay Blaine? Where's Ethan?" Fear and panic were evident in his voice, but so was determination. Determination to keep both boys alive._

" '_m tired…" he mumbled, groaning from the pain in his head._

"_I know Blaine, I know. Where's Ethan, can you tell me?"_

_Shakily, Blaine lifted his hand and pointed towards the other side of the parking lot, his hand quickly dropping back down. Mr. Collins nodded, reminded Blaine to stay awake once more, and ran over to his son. Blaine managed to stay awake until the ambulance came, when he blacked out._

* * *

Blaine jolted awake, tears strolling down his face. The Berry's were looking at him in concern, having been woken up by the boy's screaming for Ethan, groans, and just regular shouts. Blaine rubbed the scar on his head that he had been worried Kurt would discover, and proceeded to sob again.

He sobbed for Kurt, who he knew he had hurt. But mostly, he sobbed for Ethan, the boy who had lost his life that night. And it was all his fault.

* * *

**A/N:** *has Single Ladies stuck in his head* the CIT's in my camp (me) are dancing to it for the talent competition... and the ENTIRE TIME, I had Chris Colfer dancing to it in my head. His sparkly costume and everything. ANYWAYS, randomness aside, I have a few questions.

1 - Never been kissed. I'm not sure what I should do for that - keep the Karofsky kiss or not... I want your feedback on that, see what you guys want. If we went with no, I'd just have another major event with Karofsky that would out him to Kurt and/or Blaine most likely. Not exactly at the same time, but at some point in the story. Any ideas, please~

2 - Blaine's history. I feel like I need more than him getting beaten up all the time. So, any ideas you guys have for him, feel free to tell me~ I can't use them all, seeing as I don't want him to have this super huge major complex background, but I'll do my best to use as many as I can. And I'd credit you if I used your idea, too~

3 - ROCKY HORROR. That's the next episode. I'm having a week between now and then (so, it's the weekend now, then a week with a glee assignment I need to come up with(suggestions?), THEN Rocky Horror that next week) but I feel the need to start planning it. My main concern... who should Blaine be? Redrosegal and I were thinking frankenfurter... like, he'd never seen Rocky Horror and Puck tricked him into doing it or something. Kurt's still being Riff Raff, and whosoever character Blaine takes will be given another, maybe double up characters like they did in Glee. But don't worry about him singing and stuff... *evil plot* I'm not giving anything away, but he'll be able to perform. Trust me. But, ya, I need a character for Blaine, or, if you guys don't want him to, I can just have him sit out for it. Lemme know what you think!

4 - Just, ANY suggestions. Whether it be a song for a character to sing, a glee assignment, or an event between characters, let me know. Just... no suggestions on how Kurt and Blaine get together. Redrosegal and I already planned that out *evil face* Jeeze, I feel like my beta's helping me write this... but ya, ANY ideas you guys have, feel free to let me know, I'd really love to hear them! Any ideas I can incorperate, I will! The suggestions don't have to do with Klaine, they can be any Glee events or romances. Just lemme know! At the moment, all the pairings are as they were for up to Duets. Which means there's Quam and Fichel for right now. Should I have 'em brake up, or no? I need your guys opinions and stuff! Because I really don't know...

So, I think that's about it.

Aria657 - LUCKYYYY. I just put AVPM and AVPS on my ipod last night, it's nice for the bus ride to camp when I'm sleepy. I still need to get the rest of the music... And pssh, of COURSE it's there fault! They hypnotized me to do it all. I did NOTHING. And haha, less emo and suicidal... I just had to make him emo again. But, there should only be like, one more chapter of angst or so. Not sure yet. I always stop my chapters around 3,000 words, so depends on how much I delve into the two's minds, and if I have any more flashbacks. But thank you, and I hope you enjoy :3

Klaine . is . bigger . than . Glee - it is about time. They take there good, sweet time with stuff like this though, just look at the show! And haha... I had to do it. I'm sorry xD It'll all be joy and klainebows soon though! I PROMISEEEEE.

Sarahamanda - Thank you :D

- *hides* I'M SORRYYYY. The week after school ended, camp started, and I have to wake up at seven and don't get back until 5. And then I'm sleepy. I write this while I'm half asleep, staying up until one due to Redrosegal's nagging xD I'll do better to upload sooner! And hey, POTTERMORE IN OCTOBER! It's not like it's all over! :D

Rumbledork - Aww, thank you, that's really nice of you ^^ And hahaha... most people get depressed when they write angst... I don't. I can go straight from writing this, to skipping around my house... if I wasn't so tired, that is. But angst doesn't depress me... I've never cried while writing/reading/watching someone xD My friends call me emotionless... I think my emotions are just confused, and find angst to be entertaining xD And at the moment, no, redrosegal beta's everything, and none of my friends really *go* on fanfic, but I'll let you know if I find anyone that does!

uriah cullen - Hahaha... I make you suffer now. There's no Klaine, and everyone hurts D: And sorry about the long, almost-month-long gap... I feel really bad ^^'

Annie24601 - Eventually, young grasshopper... patience is virtue. Why am I talking like a wise old man? I am neither wise, nor old...

pryalovesstories - Aww, thank you! :3 But, the sweetness just rotted... into angst... and depression...l and drama. Funny thing is, I hate real like drama. Like, _despise_. And yet... I write it. A lot. I am soo weird...

And on a random side not, "Guys like Potter" is a wonderful song, well, I like the scene it's in. It makes me love Severus even more... He's my favorite Harry Potter character, just so you know. I'm still upset that they left some of his memories out of DHP2... BUT HE LOOKED SO FREAKIN' ADORABLE AS A KID!... even if they got his clothing wrong. They made him seem RICH, when he's not suppose to me. And it urks me. If I remember correctly, he was wearing an apron or something...

SIDE TRACKED AGAIN! *facepalmheaddesk*

Well, I hope you enjoyed, and if not... well then, I don't see why you're reading something you don't enjoy?

DON'T KILL ME WITH PITCHFORKS FOR MESSING UP THEIR RELATIONSHIP RIGHT WHEN IT SEEMS FIXED! D: *runs and hides for cover*  
~Joshua *in hiding*


	22. Chapter 22 Don't Break Even

**AN:** Woooow... this is a looong chapter... almost 6,000 words. But this flashback was 2,000 words long, and thus too short to be a chapter on it's own, and I couldn't find a good place to cut it off. So, you get a chapter that is 2x longer than usual to make up for the wait.

Two things. Number one, the _reason_ for the wait was that redrosegal (my beta, if you haven't caught onto that yet) was on vacation, and could only get a few minutes of internet a day, at most. Which really stunk because I talk to her soo much and she had no cell service either. But, BACK on topic, she had no way to beta it. It would've been a day late anyways even if she _did_, but that's because I'm stupid and lazy :D But, I have the next chapter done and beta'd aswell.

Number two, I'm on vacation right now. At Disney. With Redrosegal, running around the boardwalk and acting crazy. It's quite fun, really. But that likely means I won't be able to write the next chapter any time soon. We leave Disney on Thursday, but then I have to drive to Marco Islands to meet with my cousins. Now, _there_, I have no friends (I have my family, extended and all. I think I like _one_ aunt and uncle. The rest either hate me, or it's mutual. Usually mutual.) and thus will be able to likely write. Not sure if they have internet though. I'll have to find that out.

But, I should be back in around a week, a week and a half. Not really sure... I think my mom said we head back Monday (not this upcoming Monday, the one after that). But I'll upload chapter 23 in a few days, seeing as that's done.

Anyways, I laugh at the fact that you guys think that was the _only_ reason I was going to have for him to run from the kiss. It was just a _small_ part of it, leading into the giant flashback I have below. And Blaine will also fully explain it in the next chapter. It has a lot to do with anxiety and stuff after having a triggered flashback. Now, I've never had a flashback or anything, but I do have pretty bad anxiety, and it really _does_ make you loose control. I jumped out of a car once. Sure, it was about to stop, but still. Anxiety's no fun, and you don't really act like yourself, thus Blaine... jumping from a window. I figured he's gotten pretty good at excaping over the years, thus the ability to climb trees.

I think that's all I need to mention. Also, looky-looky, there's a song here. At the bottom. And I have another in the next chapter. This reminded me how very much I _hate_ writing people singing to songs. I. Can't. Dance. Thus, I can't _create_ a dance. Thus it ends up awful. But there in glee club. They like music. They _sing_ music. They dance. Thus, they. have. to dance. And I am screwed. But you all enjoy reading this well I go relax my feet (my mom packed the shoes I _never_ wear instead of my usual sneakers. And now my feet hurt from 4 1/2 hours in Animal Kingdom e.e BUT I GOT A FLUFFY EYOR *hugs him* Well, my entire family did, but pssh.)

* * *

_Blaine passed back and forth in front of the cracked-open hospital room door, tears continuously rolling down his face. His best – and pretty much _only_ – friend was in there, and he didn't know what to do. Moving to the left a bit to peak into the window, Blaine saw Mr. Collins sitting at his father's bedside, clutching onto the boy's hand and sobbing._

_Moving up to place a hand on the window, Blaine forced himself to look at Ethan's face. He had tubes in his nose to help him breathing, IVs in his arms, his eyes were half closed, but the boy still managed to smile. It was times like this that the auburn-haired teenager surprised Blaine most. Despite everything that happened, the boy still smiled._

_And the smile must have been contagious, for only a few seconds later, Blaine too was smiling threw the tears that continued to spill. He let out a chocked-out sob, causing Mr. Collins to lift his head and face Blaine threw the window. The older man forced out a small, comforting (or, he thought it was suppose to be, it was hard to see any emotion in the man's face except pain and sorrow) smile towards him, and Blaine just cried harder at that._

_Blaine had known the Collin's family for eight years. One winter, when Blaine had been six years old, they moved in just down the street. Having been taking a walk around in the snow to escape another scream-off from his parents, he'd turned around when a snowball hit him, anger flaring up in his small body._

_He'd expected to see one of the big, mean teenagers that lived in the neighborhood and liked to make fun of him, not a boy his own age laughing a loud, melodic laugh. Blaine couldn't help but smile and laugh back, lifting up his own snowball to throw at the boy._

_The two chased each other around the Collin's yard for around twenty minutes before crashing to the ground, exhausted. They had forgotten how hard it was to run in the thick snow, especially for Blaine who only had on a pair of worn-out sneakers and a pair of sweatpants over his jeans in an attempt to stay warm. His winter jacket was old and worn, but still managed to keep him warm for the most part. Ethan, on the other hand, had on a warm, wool hat, matching mittens, black overall-like snow pants, and a thick, dark blue jacket topped off with dark-blue boots._

_After a minute of lying in the snow, panting in an attempt to catch their breaths, Ethan crawled onto his hands and knees and struggled over to Blaine, falling into the snow a lot and making the shorter boy laugh. Ethan laughed too, and wobbily extended a hand over to Blaine._

_"I'm Ethan."_

_Smiling, Blaine sat up, leaning against his left hand and extended the right to shake the other boy's, still chuckling slightly as he responded._

_"Blaine."_

_Blaine smiled at the memory, remembering how they'd gone into the Collin's home afterwards for hot chocolate (or, Ethan _dragged_ Blaine in, despite his protesting) and he had met Mr. and Mrs. Collins for the first time._

_The John Collins he'd met then looked so different from the one he knew now. The man he'd met then had eyes full of joy, and crinkles around his eyes from smiling and laughing with his family so much. In a way, John always reminded Blaine of Santa Claus – not from their looks or anything, John was actually quite fit, but from the way both were always filled with such _joy_. Whenever Blaine ran from his house to go hang with Ethan after dealing with his parents never-ending yelling, Mr. Collins always offered him some fresh-baked cookies that they never seemed to _not_ have._

_But now… now Mr. Collins eyes were red and puffy, tear tracks on his face. The smile that always seemed to be on his face was gone, replaced with a frown that he seemed to not be able to get rid of. Frown lines replaced the crinkles he had from laughing, and he seemed older now than he ever had._

_He just seemed so… weak._

_After a moment of the two just staring at each other, Blaine saw Mr. Collins tell his son something, to which the man weakly nodded before the man shakily got to his feet and headed towards the door. Blaine wrapped his arms around himself and headed over towards the door too, knowing what Mr. Collins was going to say._

"_Blaine…" he started, weakly. "They… they don't think he'll make it. They said we'll be lucky if we have another forty-eight hours… And I know you, Blaine. I know you'll blame yourself. But you _can't_ do that, because if you ask Ethan yourself, he'll tell you _exactly_ what I'm about to. It's _not_ your fault. You couldn't do anything about it. It was those damn jocks from your school, who I can promise you will pay._

"_But Blaine, you couldn't control what happened. Ethan _knows_ he doesn't have much left. And he said that he doesn't want it spent with us crying-" Mr. Collins laughed a bit now, weakly, but still a slight laugh "-and he told me he's seen enough of you crying to make up for you smiling for him now._

"_I'm gonna go get us some lunch, okay? You're a good kid, Blaine, and I know Ethan's glad to have you for a friend. So thank you for that, Blaine. And I don't know what's going on in your home, but from the bits Ethan's let slip of what he knows, I know you don't like it there. So no matter what happens, know you're always welcome to visit me and Kal (Mrs. Collins)… son."_

_And with that, John patted Blaine's shoulder softly before moving and heading in the direction of the food court. Blaine felt himself truly smiling threw his tears at the man's offer, as well as the man's last word before he left. Mr. Collin's truly felt like a fatherly figure to him, more so than his own. It made him feel, wanted._

_(Little did Blaine know the offer would end shortly after the trial over Ethan's death. They had won, yes, but Kal and John hadn't been able to stay in their home any more, for everything reminded them of their deceased fourteen-year-old son and moved three months after the attack without so much as a farewell to the young Anderson – just a 'For Sale' sign in their yard one day when Blaine was looking for a place to escape.)_

_Forcing himself to keep that smile on his face, he made his way into the hospital room slowly, keeping his eyes on the boy in front of him that seemed so broken to him. Blaine had been released from the hospital earlier that day, only having needed a few stitched in his head, and some painkillers for his bruises. The mark on his head was going to scar, but that would be the only – physical – reminder of the attack._

"_Hi," Blaine whispered, causing Ethan's smile to brighten. (Blaine hadn't been mute at the time, but he still rarely spoke. He was always a quiet child, even when he was in kindergarten, preferring to play alone while the rest of the kids played make-believe and laughed. Ethan's smile always grew when Blaine spoke, and always tried to force him into a conversation, but never minded having one-sided ones when he knew Blaine wasn't in the mood to talk)._

"_Hey," Ethan responded, his voice hoarse. A few more tears escaped Blaine's grasp as he heard his friends voice, usually so full of spirit sounded dead, but still held that usual… spark. Ethan chuckled softly, and shook his head. "Hey, didn't my dad tell you? No crying. I don't have much time left, and I don't want to waste that time watching my best friend and my parents crying their eyes out."_

_Blaine shook his head with a smile on his face and let his arms drop, making his way over towards Ethan's bedside. For a moment, the only noise either boy could hear was the sounds of all the machines in the hospital room – but the only one _Blaine _heard was the heart monitor, going at about half the speed it should be._

_Forcing himself to take a deep, shuddering breath, Blaine began to speak._

"_You know you're like the brother I've always and at the same time never wanted, right Ethan?" he said, repeating the same phrase he and Ethan always used. It was like an inside joke to the two – the Collins had always said that the two were like brothers, and Ethan and Blaine would turn towards each other and scream 'yuck!' before crossing their arms, turning away from each other, and causing both Mr. and Mrs. Collins and themselves to burst into laughter._

_Ethan laughed and weakly nodded his head. "Yeah, and same goes to you, _Blainey_."_

_Ethan had started calling Blaine 'Blainey' one night after he had a nightmare. Ethan was seven and a half, and Blaine had just turned eight the day before. Ethan woke up crying, his parents storming into the room and Blaine jumping awake. Ethan simply grabbed onto Blaine and mumbled (quite loudly) threw his tears that he 'wanted his Blainey'. The next morning, his parents teased him about it, and his defense had been that 'his inner four-year-old had kicked in' and Blaine was a replacement for his 'blankey'. The nickname had stuck, however, and Ethan always used it to annoy Blaine._

_Blaine laughed, shaking his head once again. The two went silent again, and Blaine couldn't help but notice that Ethan's heart monitor always seemed to get slower at every passing second. Taking a deep breath and swallowing his nerves, Blaine stood up, knowing that his friend wasn't going to live much longer, and despite what the doctors said, he'd be lucky to survive the _day_. So he moved to crouch at the side of the bed, pushing the chair back, and gently placed his lips on his best friends._

_Now, neither of them had romantic feelings for each other. They both knew that, having talked about it when they both figured out that they were gay. But Ethan had said he wanted to enjoy the little time he had left, and Blaine wanted to do something for him, but he didn't know what. But he knew Ethan had never had a first kiss, and he knew that he _loved_ Ethan, and that Ethan loved him, but just… more as a _brotherly_ love._

_Ethan smiled softly into the kiss, neither of their lips moving at first, just pressing into each other. After what felt like hours to Blaine, but was really only a few minutes, Ethan's lips began to move slowly against his own. They were dried out and slow, and Blaine felt himself crying into the kiss. He tried to hold back his tears for Ethan, but couldn't. Ethan moved a weak hand up to cup Blaine's face, his thumb shakily rubbing against his face, and the two laughed weakly into the kiss._

_The heard monitor continued to slow as time went on. Blaine had heard footsteps stop at the door, and knew that either the Collin's were back, or Ethan's doctor, but he didn't stop. He and Ethan continued to kiss, Blaine listening to the rapidly slowing sounds of the heart monitor as Ethan slowly stopped responding, his limbs and mouth slowly falling limp._

_Beep-…._

_Beep-…._

_Beep-….._

_Beep-….._

_Ethan's arm dropped down to his side, and Blaine opened his eyes – their lips together – to see a look of happiness and bliss on Ethan's face. He could feel the smile against his lips, and knew that this was the right decision. Sure, the two didn't love each other _that_ way, but it would make up for all of the bro-mantic moments they would have to miss. And in a way, it would keep Ethan connected to him after he died, in Blaine's mind._

_Blaine continued to softly kiss the boy until the footsteps made their way over to the bedside right as the heart monitor left off on one long 'beep', signaling that Ethan's life had come to an end. Blaine pulled back, tears continuing to roll down his face as he fell to the ground, sobbing._

_The doctor that had come into the room disconnected all the machines, flipping the heart monitor and life-support off, and slowly moved to pull the IV's out. He didn't even notice as both Collin's made their way over to him as he crumpled to the ground, his breaths shaking threw his sobs._

_He didn't notice as they helped to lift him up, Mr. Collin's holding him. He simply grabbed onto the man's shirt and cried into it. He didn't notice as Mr. Collin's tears fell onto his head, or that Mrs. Collins was clutching his shoulder to keep from falling as she too sobbed._

_All that he knew was that his best and only friend had died, right before his eyes, and he hadn't been able to do a thing to help him._

* * *

Blaine sobbed on the couch, clutching the blanket Hiram had wrapped around him the night before. Rachel had fallen asleep curled up in the arm chair across the room, but her dads had gone to their rooms once Blaine fell back asleep.

All that Blaine could see when he closed his eyes now was both his kiss with Ethan, and his kiss with Kurt.

When Kurt's hand had brushed again his scar, it had triggered a flashback of the attack. It had gone by quickly, seeming to replay in the blink of an eye, but then all that Blaine could see was Ethan's dying face as the two kissed, Ethan eventually going limp.

His anxiety took control, and he ran.

He needed an escape, unable to face his past. And now, Kurt was probably furious and wishing that _he_ was dead. And he couldn't help but think how he'd likely just lost another friend, thinking about how he lost his _first _friend. Blaine turned to Rachel, who was slowly moving around in her sleep, and shakily got to his feet to shake her awake.

He could only hope Kurt wouldn't want to kill him for trying what he had in mind. He took a deep, shuddering breath, and looked out the window at the sky as Rachel began to move a bit more in response to his hand gently shaking her shoulder. He saw a star twinkle softly, and couldn't help but think it was Ethan, telling him to go for it in the overly-enthusiastic voice he always used with Blaine.

He knew then that he'd have to try.

Rachel mumbled something in her sleep about needing to rest her vocal chords for Glee and Blaine chuckled, causing her to blink her eyes a bit more. When she was off coherent thought, Blaine moved his lips towards her ear and whispered, Rachel taking in the voice of the boy she'd never heard speak.

"_I need your help."_

* * *

Kurt didn't get out of bed all weekend. His father came into his room at eleven o'clock, surprised his son wasn't up at eight as usual for the weekend. He had simply told Burt he hadn't felt well, knowing that he wouldn't buy it but trying anyways.

He frowned and asked Kurt if he needed to 'hunt down Blaine and teach the kid a lesson', but Kurt had simply shook his head and said it was his fault. Which – to him – it was. If only he'd kept his damn mouth shut – or, to himself in this case – none of this would've happened. Blaine would likely be sleeping in his guest room, or if Burt had been in a giving mood – on the spare bed in Kurt's room.

But no, he'd gone and ruined it by kissing the boy and likely ruining their friendship. But there was no time to think about that now – now it was Monday, and he had school, which he _knew_ he had to go to. With any luck, Blaine would just skip school again and he wouldn't have to face the boy and feel the hatred and anger being directed at him via glare – or, possibly, a death glare.

Not even caring as much with his wardrobe as usual, Kurt threw together what he would normally only consider a 'decent' outfit. He styled his hair, taking about double as long as usual to do so, and it not even looking as good as usual. If you had Finn describe the difference in Kurt – which he did, the second the two left for school that morning (Carole and Finn had moved back in a few weeks ago, Finn having been told not to bother Kurt all weekend by Burt) – he'd just describe him as 'dead'.

He had done his best to cover up the bags under his eyes, and got most of it, but it was still a little dark. His hair had less volume, and his spirit was just… well, in Finn's words, dead.

Kurt simply sighed, and got in the driver's seat of his Navigator, Finn in the passenger. "Are we picking up Rachel today," he asked, coming out in an annoyed voice. Finn simply raised an eyebrow at his almost-step-brother and mumbled a quiet 'okaaaaay' to himself before answering.

"Uhh, no, she's br-… she said her dad needed to bring her in for… some reason."

If Kurt noticed Finn's few stumbles, he didn't comment on them. The rest of the ride to McKinley was quiet, and the second they got there, Kurt threw his door open, grabbed his bag, and hopped out, locking the doors the second Finn opened his.

"Hey Kurt! Wait!"

Kurt ignored Finn and simply made his way towards class.

* * *

'_Well, this has been one of the most uneventful days of my life,'_ Kurt thought to himself, readjusting the hold on his bag that was slowly slipping off his shoulder in his sleep-deprived state. Even though he'd been in bed all weekend, it didn't mean he'd slept. No, he'd stayed awake most of the time, just thinking about how he screwed up _everything_.

Third period had just ended, having been Spanish. Blaine hadn't been there, which really didn't shock Kurt. What _did_ shock him was that Mercedes had said he'd been in geography the class before, which really just got on Kurt's last nerves. _'Okay, if you were going to ignore me, at least don't make it _obvious_ and skip the whole day or something,'_ he huffed to himself.

Speaking of which, he hadn't seen Rachel much either, and when he'd tried to corner her in English, she just made up some excuse about having to help Finn in math and ran off. If it wasn't obvious that Blaine had gone off to Rachel when he left his house, it really was now. And Blaine had clearly told her everything seeing as he seems to always seem perfectly happy around her. In fact, he'd likely spoken to her more in this week than he had with him at all.

And he knew exactly what to do about it seeing as Glee Club was next. Mr. Schuester had decided to give out the glee assignment early, seeing as he claimed it would require more 'emotional depth' than most of the assignments. In fact, that was pretty much the assignment. Emotions. Sing about how you're feeling, yada yada. At first, Kurt had kind of thought it was a weird assignment, pretty out of the blue… but now it felt to him that Mr. Schuester could tell the future or something, because he _really_ needed to sing about how he felt. So he headed straight into the choir room, not even noticing all the new… 'decorations' of the room. In fact, all he saw was red, along with the only two people in the room –

Rachel Barbara Berry and Blaine _freakin' _Anderson.

Doing his best to ignore Rachel's excited talking about her idea of a song to sing this week and Blaine's nodding replies, he took a seat on the opposite side of the room in the back corner.

The room slowly flooded with the rest of the glee members, Puck and Finn moving to sit beside Rachel, and Finn put an arm around her shoulder, Sam and Quinn sitting on Blaine's right, and Mercedes moving to sit up with him. In all honesty, he didn't even pay attention to where the rest of the glee club sat. He really just didn't _care_.

"You okay, Boo?"

Turning to his left, he smiled at Mercedes and mumbled a 'yea' before turning towards the door again, signaling to his best friend that he _really_ wasn't in the mood to talk right now. So she just sat back in his chair, and Kurt stared down the door, as though willing Mr. Schuester to enter at that moment.

"Okay guys!" Mr. Schuester started, walking through the choir room door and moving to place his books and papers from his last Spanish class on his desk. _'Seriously, how does it take him so long to get here?'_ Kurt thought. _'I came from the same class as him, and from what I saw, no one stayed after.'_ Rolling his eyes, he listened to his teacher spiel about the same stuff as usual.

"So, Sectionals is coming up you guys, so we need to start working on ideas for that. If you've got any ideas, just let me know-" Mr. Schuester turned to glare slightly at Rachel's raised hand "-after class. And no, Rachel, we will _not_ do 'Run, Joey, Run'." Kurt couldn't help but smirk slightly when her hand dropped down, but the smirk fell off of his face when she leaned into Finn, head on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her.

"Now if anyone's ready to perfo-… Kurt?" Kurt let his hand drop, and stood up from his seat, making his way towards the front of the room. He turned to the band, having slipped Brad the music sheet earlier that morning, and nodded his head.

The guitar started off with an average-passed beat, playing alone for a little while before the rest of the instruments started. They all stopped but the guitar when he started singing, hand tapping against his leg to help keep the tempo, and his voice lower than usual.

"_I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing,"_

Kurt shot Blaine a look from the corner of his eye as he started singing, catching Blaine's expression faulted for a moment.

_"Just prayed to a god that I don't believe in,  
'Coz I got time while he got freedom,"_

Despite it being harder to hold his voice lower for a long period of time, it was clear that he was doing a good job of it. It wasn't 'John Melencamp' low, in fact, it was only a bit lower than his usual voice in a way that complemented the music.

"_'Coz when a heart breaks  
no it don't break even."_

When he finished the line, he cast another quick glance at Blaine, then risked looking up at the rest of the Glee Club who clearly looked shocked. None of them had any idea what he was singing about, but Mercedes seemed to smile sadly, and knowingly, as though Kurt _had_ told her. Seriously, what was up with her and seeming to know every single thing about Kurt? But still, the thought that she did made him smile.

He took a few steps back, loosening his stiff position, and held up his left elbow with his right hand, left hand slightly over his mouth, moving when he started to sing.

"_His best days will be some of my worst,  
He finally met a girl that's gonna put him first,"_

A slight glare at Rachel before he looked up, his right hand dropping and left hand moving to face outstretched towards the audience.

"_While I'm wide awake, he's no trouble sleeping,  
'Coz when a heart breaks  
no it don't break even,"_

He allowed his voice to drop slightly now, hand falling down to his side.

" _even no."_

He closed his eyes, hands reaching out to the sides. If his eyes were open, he'd notice that everyone was staring at him in a new way. No one would expect Kurt Hummel, obsessed with everything Broadway and fashion, would ever sing a song by The Script, a song with a quicker, more guitar-based tune. And honestly, he was rocking it.

His dancing that was usually more show-tune-like had changed to fit with the music, and if he hadn't really even started doing anything yet. But it was so different from Kurt, and yet… it _was_ so Kurt at the same time.

"_What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you_

_What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you act ok"_

Because Kurt _knew_ that Blaine wasn't okay. He knew more about Blaine than anyone else in Glee Club – except maybe Rachel, he really didn't know much. He knew it was an act, and despite it just being a song, he knew he had to change the words slightly to be more than just gender-appropriate.

Standing up straight, and yet with not as great of posture as usual, Kurt held his hand in a tight fist in front of him, allowing it to move slowly as he sang weakly, and yet at the same time, strong. Because this song seemed to fit him quite well at the moment.

"_I'm falling to pieces  
I'm falling to pieces."_

Kurt clasped his hands behind his back and made to move his way between the chairs as he continued to sing, letting all of his emotions flow freely into his music.

"_They say bad things happen for a reason  
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding  
'Coz he's moved on while I'm still grieving"_

His voice raised slightly on the last word, and he barely managed to stop it from cracking, but as he heard some of the other glee club guys join in, he felt himself smile slightly as he stood behind the back row of chairs, his voice once again strong and packed with emotion.

"_And when a heart breaks  
no it don't break even, even no."_

He turned the plastic chair in front of him around, stepping up onto it as he began to sing again, stepping across empty ones as he sand the next few lines, everyone either clapping along to the beat or backing him up with vocals, Finn and Puck even moving to take over the Drums and Guitar parts respectively.

"_What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you  
What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you seem ok."_

Kurt hopped off the chair in the front at the last word, turning around to face the audience, no longer hopping around the room but just standing still and letting his arms move as he sang.

"_I'm falling to pieces, yeah  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah"_

The guys of glee club (and a few girls, deepening their voices slightly) sang the background vocals as Kurt sang –

"_I'm falling to pieces"_

"_One still in love  
while the other one's leaving__"_

"_I'm falling to pieces"_

"_Cuz when a heart breaks  
no it don't break even__"_

He began to move his hands more enthusiastically now, occasionally taking a few steps around in the front of the room.

"_You got her heart and my heart and none of the pain,  
You took your suitcase, I took the blame.  
Now I'm tryna make sense of what little remains, oh."_

He snapped his eyes shut now, only opening them as he sang the last word of the next line as he belted it out, doing his best to keep his voice low, but it still raising to be higher than the song was originally meant to, but still somehow worked.

_"'Coz you left me with no love, with no love to my name."_

He let his arms drop, and looked around the room, being sure not to look at Blaine and see his reaction. Because he _knew_ Blaine knew the song was for him. Who else could it be for?

_"I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing,"_

His voice had dropped back down, and quieted down after it had steadily rose up throughout the song. He looked down at his feet now, taking a quick, but deep breath before he sang again.

_"Just prayed to a god that I don't believe in,"_

He lifted his head slightly now, shrugging his shoulders and arms as if to say 'What'cha gonna do?' when he sang the next line.

_"'Coz I got time while he got freedom,"_

Kurt gave a small, gentle smile at his fellow gleeks as he sang, and signaled with his hands for Artie to help him out a bit.

"_'Coz when a heart breaks  
no it don't break, no it don't  
break, no it don't break even no."_

Artie backed up Kurt, dancing as best as he could from his wheelchair. Despite their voices being entirely different, they still blended nicely and gave a different feel than what Kurt had ever sung before.

_"What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you"_

Kurt pointed his finger out at the audience, but if you focused hard enough, you'd be able to see that he was pointing more so at Blaine than anyone else, but he still refused to make eye contact with the boy across from him.

It was at this point that Kurt started to notice the flowers hanging on the walls, which made Kurt _really_ confused. Valentine's Day wasn't for around two months, and there were no 'National Flower Days' that he knew about.

_"What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you act ok"_

The flowers varied – there were some roses, some lilies, colors ranging from red to yellow to white to any other color you can think of for a flower. He shook his head slightly as he continued to sing, trying not to pay attention to the flowers attached to the wall and scattered on the edges of the choir room.

"_I'm falling to pieces, yeah  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah"_

Blaine watched Kurt singing his heart out, and couldn't keep the smile off his face. He _knew_ he shouldn't be smiling, Kurt was upset, but just listening to Kurt singing with all the emotions he could… listening to him breaking down any barriers he held up to keep in his emotions…

It just… made him smile.

A sad smile, but still a smile. And it made him positive that what he'd decided to do next was right, even if he was downright _horrified_.

The whole off glee except for him began to back Kurt up again as he neared the close of the song.

"_I'm falling to pieces,"  
__"One still in love  
while the other one's leaving"  
__"I'm falling to pieces"  
__"Cuz when a heart breaks  
no it don't break even"_

Kurt stood there, snapping his fingers softly to help keep the beat, head down until the music started to play again. He took a deep breath and lifted his head, singing the close of the song strongly as the band began to soften towards the close.

"_Oh, it don't break even, no"_

Rachel smiled softly at Kurt, then looked towards Blaine, who seemed completely captivated by the boy's singing and couldn't help but find the irony in the fact that a song about heartbreak seemed to draw the subject of the song to love the singer… _more_.

"_Oh, it don't break even, no"_

Finn seemed _really_ confused about everything going on. Last he remembered, Kurt had a crush on _him_, but he was pretty sure that'd ended when Finn called him a 'fag' and got thrown of Hummel house, even if they _had _made up afterwards. Honestly, Finn already thought of Kurt like a little brother (even if Kurt _was_ older), and couldn't help but find it just a little… okay, a _lot_ weird that he actually had a _love life_.

"_Oh, it don't break even, no"_

Kurt listened as the band quieted down, eventually coming to an end, were he adlibbed in one more line, not feeling as though it was entirely done.

"_It don't break even."_

He didn't even notice as the rest of the club clapped, or when Mr. Schuester gave his words of praise, and told the group that it was a good example and told them to think about the raw emotion they heard in Kurt's voice.

He simply retreated back to his seat, Mercedes wrapping an arm around him.

"Hey, white boy, you know things'll turn up, right?"

The countertenor just shook his head. "You know, sometimes it really doesn't feel like it."

"Okay! Does anyone else want to perform their song today?"

Kurt kept his head down, not looking up when the glee instructor spoke. He didn't notice as one, single hand in the front row was put up, shocking a majority of the club.

He didn't notice that the owner of the hand was looking straight at Mr. Schuester.

But he couldn't help but notice the small, hoarse voice that spoke.

"I'd like to if that's alright, Mr. Shue."

"Uh, well, okay Blaine, the floor's yours."

_Blaine._

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I just got ditched in my hotel room.

But, anyways, I have to say. This story is soo different from what I was originally going to write. It's _beter_ than it was originally going to go, but I remember having a whole different idea for how Blaine was going to first sing for the glee club. And now, well, you'll see next chapter.

A lot of you guys wanted to have had Blaine been sexually assaulted or something. I had two problems with that - one, completely overdone. In soo many stories, one of them gets sexually assaulted. Not that I mind and stuff, it helps the stories that have it. But I just wanted to try something different. And two, it likely would've been triggered sooner if that'd been the case. When Kurt brushed against Blaine's scar, it triggered the flashback, and thus the memories of Ethan, and thus the memories of his first kiss, and... ya.

Also, I partially laughed while writting that flashback. The reason was, I immagined New Directions going around drunkenly stating their first kiss after a game of spin the bottle, and Blaine saying 'My kiss was with a dead guy! WOOT!' then everyone staring at him... I think my _mind_ is drunk or something. Or I'm just so in love with drunken Blaine, and had re-watched BIOTA a few days before.

For the record, it was redrosegal's idea for breakeven. Along with the song Blaine sings next chapter, which we both came up with SOO long ago. A little while after she started beta-ing for me, in fact...

And also, thank you for all the ideas, everyone :3 I have a little notepad document of your ideas, and I'll look at them as I'm writing :3 And now, I have two requests, one of which that has pretty much _nothing_ to do with the story.

Story related request. I really, _really_ hate this story title. I really want a new one. If you take your title idea from a song, let me know, because I'd likely want to put it in somewhere, even if it's just a mention of the song. I'm just really bad at story titles. All I can think of is _Speechless_, which I only got from listening to Lady Gaga on my ipod (redrosegal - KATY PERRY STILL PWNS). *cough* ignore that *cough*

Other, really random request. My ipod is full of the same 300 songs playing _over and over_. I want you guys to give me a list of your favorite songs. Why should you help, you may ask? Music helps me keep focused (I have ADHD. Focus can be quite difficult at times). Obviously, I won't make you, but keep in mind that I just may use some of the songs you guys list here in future chapters as well, if I can see a character singing it.

And I'm pretty sure that was the last bit of angst. Next chapter has... no angst, I believe. Can't really remember. But jeeze, angst is soo much easier to write...

OOH, the Collins family. Their relations to Blaine remind me of my relations with my friend's family. Well, her and her mom. Her grandparents scare me o3o But ya, her mom has adopted me for weekends and holidays. I can randomly show up at their door, and hang out, even if my friend's asleep (she's more nocturnal than me, really xD).

Also, for the record, on my flight they had tvs on the seats. I flipped threw to Fox, Glee was on. Right in the middle of the Bad ROmance performance. But we kept loosing reseption, so I saw both Kurt/Finn _fights_, but not the end when Finn kinda redeems himself. I was pretty annoyed, and my mom looked at me weirdly xD

Man, I write long Authors Notes. But thank you to everyone again :3 Keep suggesting anything you would like to see in the story! Songs, ideas, pairings and all~

Redrosegal - Shut yo face, woman. 2 - Hmm... maybeh. At the moments they're together, but we'll see about the future... 4 - Dude, YES. To both the Wevid and the Rachel hitting on Wes. That'd just be quite hilarious. AND I LOVE YOU TOO!

Sarahamanda - Thank you~

- Of course there was more than just the fight, pssh. I'm too angsty for that to be it.

Aria657 - My Authors Notes tend to make people laugh... because after all this ANGST, the 'lalaladidalala' part of my mind exploooooodes in the AN. And yes, single ladies. And there were 4 year olds at that camp. But I missed the stupid performance, UGH. I watched it on facebook though xD It was pretty hilarious. And yepp, those are epic songs. I love pretty much every song by Starkid.

Daybreaq - Mm, understandable on both parts. But no, I didn't sexually assault him, for the reasons I stated before along with the fact that not _everyone_ that bullies people are gay, so chances of one of Blaine's bullies being gay were pretty slim. And since Blaine was in a pretty bad state when he showed up to talk to Kurt, he had been easily upset, and thus had a really bad anxiety attack of sorts. And those really can make you act pretty insane, trust me.

uriah cullen - *hands cookie* And I'M SORREH! D: I'm working on it, I promise! And that could be entirely possible xD He does seem to cry a lot... Maybeh. And yeah, I'll be developing a bit more with his parents. But the main part of them is that they don't _care_ about Blaine, and wouldn't notice if he were to get kidnapped or something, thus making him feel alone a lot. And - as you will find out later in the story - makes him more of a touchy person, needing to cling to people sometimes, from lack of interaction and such.

Klaine . is . bigger . than . Glee - Pfft, of course I did, I'm me. And no, BAD! Don't do that. And I have seen his name spelt soo many different ways... I do Karofsky. I've seen it with a v too though... and that's what Wiki says too.

Mercedes Anderson - Don't worry, I can't think of Canada without thinking of Winnipeg... and my cousins live there, how confusing. And Rocky? Ya, that's who we were thinking xDD Only problem is his scars... but, there's always makeup for that, I suppose.

Annie24601 - I don't when reading, I seem to when writing though xD And yepp, he likely will. Unless the story takes another random change. Hmm, maybeh! I'll keep that in mind! :D And ya, I know. And Voldemort like, turned into paper. What happened to his body? My friend's response was 'this entire movie, I've been shouting 'KILL IT WITH FIRE!', and now he turned into paper. I bet it would've worked.'.

PaigeTurner.x - YAAAAAAY! :D *jumps out from hiding* And thank you :33 And they REFUSE to talk about the kiss in interviews, hmm, I wonder what's going alone there? *wink wink* o3o Scaaarry... And I love Joe's voice when he shouts 'I don't need any help from a filthy mudblood like her!'. I seriously love Snape, I have an obsession.

Anne - Thank you :DD

GleeFangurl721 - ...well, shows how smart I am xD And yay, I LOVE BEING A NERD! :D I have seen... _half_ of Starship. Which reminds me, I need to look for a place to download that as an mp4, put it on my ipod... *already got AVPM and AVPS* And DON'T WORRY. PATIENCE IS VIRTUE. And yep, he talked to Rachel next :3 Well mostly agreed to things she was saying and such, and none of that's _in_ here, but you see him say one sentence to her? xD And that's not obnoxiously long. My Authors notes? THOSE are obnoxiously long.

Ooh, also, the random last line of the song. Kurt has a flair for dramatics, thus he added an extra line to end the song with. I dunno, I wrote this around 2 AM when I couldn't sleep. And I'm weird. So I did it.

I PROMISE to have the next chapter up at least before I leave Disney, likely in 2 or 3 days.

~Josh


	23. Chapter 23 A Song Well Sung

**A/N: **Because I'm stupid, I forgot the disclaimer for the songs in the last chapter. So, last chapter was "Breakeven" by The Script, and this chapter is "1234" by The Plain White T's. I own neither songs, and don't claim them... thus the dis-claimer. And while I'm at it, I unfortunatly do not own glee. Damn...

I. Am. So. Tired. I should be at the Disney Parks with my family right now... but really, it's no fun without redrosegal there. My family hates all the rides I like, but Danielle doesn't... except she REFUSED to go on the Tower of Terror with me *cough*funsucker*cough*. But we ran around all day Sunday, and we realized halfway threw that we were having an extreamly platonic relationship like that of Wes and David. Then we started cracking up because we were sharing the same drink in what WOULD be considered a romantic way, and ya... it was preeetty funny. But now she has camp, and I'm all alone for Harry Potter World tomorrow TT_TT But I've got over $80 to spend there, so I'm happy. Got all my Slytherin gear ready. Yes, I'm a Slytherin, deal with it *evil grin*

Anyways, I ramble. So, look at this, it's a NORMAL sized chapter... and also the last chapter I have written so far. Damn. Now I actually have to _write_ something. Not to mention i haven't updated my other story in... weeks. Hopefully I'll have internet at my cousins... if not, I'll just type lots of words, because that family for the most part hates me xDD

Anywaysss, Danielle reminded me that I indeedly _do_ have some angst in here. Near the end. But then it's happy. And really, _really_ mild angst compared to what I usually write.

Now, I have to go brainstorm what to put in the next chapter, because I really have no clue and am too lazy to plan ahead, so go read this and ENJOY IT because it may be all you get for a week. And if you don't enjoy it, well then... I really don't care xD

* * *

Ignoring the stares he received as he made his way towards the front of the room, he grabbed an acoustic guitar and dragged the stool that was off to the side towards what would be center-stage… if it was actually a stage. He cleared his throat after he sat down, feet propped up on the wooden rungs. After quickly adjusting the strap to the guitar, he turned towards the band and nodded, listening to the familiar sound of the song Rachel had helped him practice since three in the morning on Saturday.

He looked out at Rachel who smiled enthusiastically and encouragingly from her place under Finn's arm. He smiled back before moving his gaze towards Kurt, who was staring at him with wide eyes and… shock. He laughed softly at that, before looking down at his guitar and saying the first line.

"_1-2, 1-2-3-4"_

He had to force his voice to be deeper than usual as he said the first line, and then hastily jumped into the opening chords of the song, moving his gaze back up to Kurt as he got use to the familiar feel of the notes being played.

Blaine's gaze didn't leave him for one minute as he sang.

"_Give me more loving than I've ever had  
Make it all better when I'm feeling sad  
Tell me that I'm special even when I know I'm not"_

He didn't even try to tear his gaze away from the boy that was staring at him, mouth wide open. Laughing quietly, his calloused fingers continued to melodically play the song as though he'd known it for his whole life, despite having learned the song only two and a half days prior.

He sent Kurt a smile, to which the boy's only response was a blink, and continued to play the small instrumental.

Kurt, in the mean time, only had one thing playing threw his head as he listened to the music. And that was pretty much 'Oh my God', over and over and over. Just two days before, the boy had _jumped from his freakin' second-story window_ in order to get away from him after they kissed.

And now he was singing him a love song.

In front of the entire glee club.

And said boy had never even said so much as three words to anyone in there but him.

And all he could do was sit there, in pure and honest shock.

"_Make me feel good when I hurt so bad"_

Blaine closed his eyes a bit, taking in the lyrics as he sang them, the guitar playing being pretty much second-nature to him – something he didn't have to focus on. He shrugged slightly as he sang, a smile on his lips.

Every word he sang was true, too. Blaine had never felt more cared for, more… more _loved_ than when he was around Kurt. Well, he'd felt that way about the Collin's too, but… he'd really rather not think about that. His parents didn't care about anything he did, and hadn't even tried to find him even though he'd been out of the house for over a week. Hell, they didn't even notice when he ran into his house, frustrated, and started throwing things around in his room when he'd left Rachel's Thursday night.

But Kurt cared for him, and always did his best to… make him feel good, when he felt so sad. Make things feel better, even when he felt like everything was tumbling down. He didn't pry into Blaine's life, he just… was there. _Comforted_ him, and made him feel wanted. Things feel better – feel _right_ – when he's around him.

"_Barely getting mad  
I'm so glad I found you  
I love being around you"_

Kurt closed his mouth quickly, and bit onto his lip, hard, and the pain was proof enough that he was awake. And that made his mouth turn up into a smile, and he had to force back a few tears as he took in every word the boy was saying, knowing just from watching the boy listen to music that to him, music was a way of communication. And the raw emotion in his voice truly fueled that thought.

"_You make it easy  
It's as easy as 1-2, 1-2-3-4"_

Smiles dawned upon the glee club's face, listening to the sounds of Blaine singing. They honestly had never even had an idea that the boy could sing, and now, just… _wow_. His voice was hoarse and somewhat rusty, but it was still _phenomenal_. They all knew that when Blaine's voice was warmed up to singing again, he'd no doubt be getting leads all the time.

And surprisingly, it bothered none of them as they began to back him up.

"_There's only (__one__) one thing  
(__two__) To Do  
(__three__) Three words  
(__four__) For you_"

Surprisingly enough, Finn was the first person (other than Mercedes and Rachel, but let's face it, they both already knew that both boys liked each other, perhaps even before they knew it themselves) to notice that Blaine had been looking at Kurt. He blinked a few times, continuing to back Blaine up as though it was second nature for him (which it really kind of was by now), but was in complete shock.

Okay, the boy he didn't even knew had a love life just sang a song about heartbreak. And now, the boy who _never_ spoke, was singing a love song to said boy.

Grilled Cheesus, and he thought Glee Club was full with enough drama _already_.

"_(__I love you__) I love you"_

Blaine stared straight at Kurt, voice not wavering for a second as he sang that line. Eyes didn't move or flicker away, but instead seemed to look at him with such a strong intensity that Kurt felt like he'd never seen Blaine more determined about something.

To Blaine, it felt like he and Kurt were the only two people in the room. He drowned out the noise of the rest of glee helping him back up, because in all honesty, he didn't _care_ if they did. Yeah, he appreciated it, but… all that mattered was that he was telling Kurt how he had _finally_ figured out he felt.

How he probably always felt towards him.

"_There's only (__one__) one way (__two__) to say  
(__three__) Those three words  
(__four__) That's what I'll do"_

Blaine's smile widened a bit as he watched Kurt smiling back at him, moving his head to the rhythm. The countertenor's legs were crossed the way he always had them, and his head rested in his palm, fingers tapping on his chin.

"_(__I love you__) I love you"_

Rachel smiled up at Blaine and nodded, her silent way of telling him that he was doing great.

Originally, when Rachel had woken up early Saturday morning to a voice she'd never heard, she almost screamed. Then, when she saw who it was, she almost cried. So instead, she settled on throwing her arms around the boy's neck, kissing his cheek, and agreed to help him without even knowing what he was asking for.

And now, he was glad he did.

The two had skipped their last class to decorate the choir room with flowers, seeing as they both knew how romantic Kurt liked to be. Mr. Schuester had allowed them to, of course, and wrote Rachel a pass to get out of English, and seeing as Blaine had Spanish, had just told him it was okay.

So, the floor was now littered on the edges with both a few stray flowers that had fallen, and rose petals. And Blaine had a fantastic love song to sing to Kurt.

Turning around and spotting Kurt's reaction, her smile widened and she turned back to Blaine, giving him a thumbs up. But, she knew he didn't see her. His gaze was far to locked on Kurt to notice anything else.

"_Give me more loving from the very start  
Piece me back together when I fall apart  
Tell me things you never even tell your closest friends"_

Kurt and Blaine both listened to the music Blaine was playing, and the words he was singing. Blaine felt his throat beginning to feel soar, and cleared his throat quietly. He'd been able to practice the song with Rachel, so he'd damn well be able to finish singing it for Kurt.

"_Make me feel good when I hurt so bad  
You're the best that I've had  
And I'm so glad I found you  
I love being around you_"

Finn moved his arm from Rachel's shoulder and turned around to look at Kurt, who was staring right back at Blaine, a happy and dazed expression on his face. Slumping back in his chair, he felt really, _really_ confused. Like, more than usual confused.

Okay, either Kurt was a player and would go out with _any_ dude that asked him, Kurt was completely oblivious, or… Blaine was the dude he'd sung about. But it didn't _look_ like Blaine had broken his heart. Hell, the dude was singing a _love_ song in front of a group of people he barely knew, and had never spoken to.

_"You make it easy  
It's easy as 1-2, 1-2-3-4"_

Mercedes smiled at Kurt, throwing an arm over his shoulder and swaying to the beat with her best friend as they listened to Blaine sing. Mercedes helped to back him up a bit, but Kurt was too transfixed on the site before him to say a single word. Hell, a group of jocks could come in and slushy him _right now_, and she didn't think Kurt would even blink.

_"There's only (__one__) one thing,  
(__two__)To Do  
(__three__)Three words  
(__four__)For you"_

Blaine could feel his throat growing drier, and really wished he had his water. He ripped his gaze away from Kurt to look at his guitar and hide the small expression of pain he had from his throat.

"_(__I love you__) I lo-"_

Blaine broke off, letting go of the guitar and covered his mouth, coughing hard. The band stopped playing at a cut-off sign from Brad, and the glee club stopped singing, looking at him in concern.

Kurt snapped out of his trance as soon as Blaine's hand released his guitar and his singing stopped. He grabbed his water from his bag, and ran over to him, almost tripping over some chairs as he did so. He put his hand on Blaine's back as his coughing slowed down, and offered him the water bottle, which Blaine accepted, quickly chugging down half of it before clearing his throat and coughing a few more times.

Turning towards Mr. Schuester, Kurt said "I'm going to take him to the nurse," and without waiting for a response (which was just a head nod from their teacher), Kurt pretty much _yanked_ him out of the room.

"You know, I really don't have to go to the nurse. My throat's ju-" But Blaine stopped when Kurt placed a finger on his mouth. Instead, he went cross-eyed a bit as he looked at the finger, then back up at Kurt who laughed slightly, and pulled him towards the Spanish classroom that was currently empty, seeing as Mr. Schue was teaching Glee at the moment, thus vacating his room.

"I know that, but… I needed to talk to you for a second."

Blaine bit his lip and nodded, sitting on the edge of one of the front desks as Kurt stood in front of him, refusing to look at him. The silence went on for a few minutes, and just as Blaine thought Kurt might just walk out and leave him there, he heard a soft whisper.

"Did you mean it? The song, did you mean it?"

Blaine looked at Kurt and stood up, grabbing his jaw and forcing his glasz eyes to look into his own hazel ones.

"Every word."

"Then… then why'd you run?"

Blaine paled slightly, looking at his feet. He really, _really_ didn't want to talk about what had happened three years ago… but it was for Kurt… and in a way, it _had _affected him. So swallowing his pride and own self-pity, he looked up at Kurt and sighed.

"It's just… it reminded me of something I really didn't want to remember," he started. When Kurt didn't look like he was going to interrupt or ask questions, he continued. "When I was in eighth grade, there was this Sadie Hawkins dance at my school. And I went with the only other out kid at my school, Ethan. He'd been my best friend for years, and since we had no one else to go with, we went to each other." He swallowed, now avoiding Kurt's eyes and instead looking at the side of the classroom and out the window.

"And it was really fun, too. But when we went out to wait for his dad to pick us u-" he coughed slightly again, holding up a finger to signal for Kurt to hold on one second, and took another sip of water. "When we were waiting for his dad to pick us up, these jocks came and… they beat the crap out of us. Well, more Ethan than me. I really don't know what happened to him.

"They were making fun of me, and-" he stopped himself before slipping up about his family life and how everyone knew his parents weren't involved with him. He didn't want Kurt to pity him any more than he likely would after this story. "And Ethan started annoying the leader, and they took him off to the other side of the parking lot."

Putting the water down on the desk beside him, he rustled up the side of his hair to free it from the gel a bit before separating it a bit, showing a white scar on his skin. "All I got was that, from the ring he was wearing when he punched me-" he let go of his hair, and swallowed the lump in his throat before trying to finish up his story as fast as he could.

"But Ethan pretty much died on the spot… when I was released from the hospital, I went to his room and his dad told me he only had two days left to live. But, they were wrong." By now, tears were flowing from both their eyes, more so Blaine's. He sniffled a bit, and chocked out the rest of it threw his sobs.

"So, I kissed him. More in a brotherly way than an 'I love you' kind of w-way, but I kissed him. And then, right afterwards, he died. He just… he fucking _died_!" Blaine slammed his hand on the desk before picking up the water bottle and throwing it towards the other side of the room, causing the cap to fly off, water to spill over the floor, and Kurt to flinch.

Not only had he never heard Blaine swear – which was a shock on its own – but he'd never seen the boy act so… violent. It kind of scared him, and he shrunk back from him a bit, afraid that he'd take his anger out on him next.

But he didn't. Instead he just dropped to the floor, sobbing. All thoughts of fear forgotten, Kurt knelt down next to Blaine, and pulled his head towards his chest, rubbing his back soothingly, his other hand's fingers stroking his hair.

"Shh, it's okay, Blaine."

After a minute of Blaine sobbing, all Kurt could hear was his ragid breaths before he sat up and wiped his eyes.

"S-sorry…" he mumbled, and Kurt was about to tell him not to apologize, when Blaine continued to speak. "A-and so… when your hand b-brushed over that scar… I just remembered it all, and had sort of an anxiety attack or something… I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to h-hurt you… I really, _really_ d-do l-like you, Kurt."

He whispered the last part, but Kurt still heard him and smiled softly, pulling the boy into a hug. Placing his chin on the shorter boy's shoulder, he whispered in his ear, "Stop being sorry. I get it, Blaine. And I am so, _so_ sorry about what happened to you. I wish I could go back in time and stop it all from happening… and I'm pretty sure that what happened was a pretty good reason for you to act how you did. I'm sorry I overreacted."

Kurt pulled back, confused, when he heard a soft chuckle coming from the other boy's lips. Seeing his confusion, Blaine explained.

"We apologize too much," he mumbled as he laughed.

At that, Kurt couldn't help but chuckle as well, placing his forehead against Blaine's. "Yeah, we really do."

Blaine nodded against his head, before slowly moving in, and placing his lips on Kurt's. Despite having known it was coming, it still slightly shocked Kurt, but didn't stop him from returning the kiss, conveying all his sorrow and love for the boy.

Their lips moved softly against each other, not going into anything heated, but just a soft, comforting kiss that assured the other of their feelings. Neither of them really wanted to _go_ farther in a kiss than that at the moment, and especially not in a Spanish classroom at a homophobic school that anyone could walk into at any second.

So, regretfully, the two pulled away simultaneously, and just smiled, looking into each other's eyes. Kurt's eyes – that were currently more blue than anything else – looked deeply into Blaine's hazel ones, conveying more emotion in that moment that they would ever be able to describe.

"I love you, Kurt."

At that, Kurt paled slightly.

"I-I really like you, Blaine, but… I just, I'm not ready to say that yet," he mumbled looking at the ground. "It's just that… so many high school relationships only last a little while, and we… we just got together. Wait-… we _are_ together, right?"

Blaine chuckled slightly, and pressed another short kiss to Kurt's lips, mumbling "Definitely," against them. Pulling back more now, Blaine nodded and looked into Kurt's eyes again, forcing the boy to look into his as well. "And it's okay if you can't, Kurt. It won't change how I feel, and I understand why you wouldn't want to.

"But I really, _really_ hope this isn't just another High School romance."

Kurt couldn't help but smile at that. "Me too."

Getting to his feet, Kurt held out a hand towards Blaine, who smiled before grabbing it, and pulling himself up to his feet. "Come on, I bet the Glee Club wants to congratulate you on a song well sung."

Blaine laughed slightly, knocking his shoulder into Kurt's as the two walked down the empty hallway, hand in hand. "So long as they don't make me do anything like that again. My throat's _killing_ me, and I don't think my voice will sound the same for _weeks_."

Kurt laughed, giving Blaine a kiss on his cheek when he arrived at the closed door of the choir room and whispered in his ear, his breath tickling Blaine slightly.

"Deal."

* * *

**A/N:** ...would you all believe me if I said that as much as I love fluff, I never write it? Thus, I felt weird writing that small, little bit of fluff at the veeeeeeery end. And it wasn't even much. THat likely just has to do with the fact that I hate showing emotions in real life, yaddy-yaddy-yada.

Also, any of you that think I'm _**not **_this crazy in real life, according to Danielle, I'm worse. A lot worse, considering she knew me even better than you all do. Heh, on every ride we went on together I started bouncing up and down like a five year old, clapping my hands... and I'm suppose to be older.

And I just want to say to all of you who were upset when I made Ethan die, he'll likely be in more flashbacks in the future. He plahyed a big role in Blaine's childhood, him and the entire Collins family, so I think I'm gonna stick him in a few more times. Not a lot, just to take place in flashbacks and stuff, not really being discussed at any point in time _between_ Kurt and Blaine. But, I mean, when you only have _one_ friend, you're with them a lot, and thus if you had flashbacks, they'd be in a lot of them, if that makes any sense.

SOOOOOOOOO, o3o I have almost 200 reviews. JUST realized that. Really surprises me considering how awfully I think I've written this story, but ehh. I apparently hate everything I do, according to... everyone I know. In fact, my art teacher complains to me and told me I'm not allowed to speak unless it's something positive... yeah, that didn't work.

Also, for the record, I'm exhausted right now. So if any of this authors note confuses you, keep in mind, my mind is currently... dead. And I've been reading ALL DAY, because from the past few days my inbox rose from 93 to 170. I'm down to... around 149 now, but that's still a lot... and I'm about to go read again once this is up, I just didn't want to forget xDD

So, tomorrow I'm at Harry Potter World. Then I'm getting up early on Thursday, and we are driving to Marco Islands. I can write in the car, on my ipod, but I'm not sure if I will. I make soo many typos on it, and get easily distracted. We'll have to see... I might just play pokemon (I'm totally a nerd. I bought black the day it came out and stood in like with tons of 7 year olds).

And I think that's all I have to say... and that you're all awesome, but you know that... OH YEAH. I remember. Because we're both crazy, Danielle (redrosegal, if you haven't picked that up yet) and I might write a story of Wevid and Klaine in DISNEY WORLD. Because she has tons of knowledge of the place, and I have tons of... craziness... but yeah, I'll let you know if we do that xD And I'm also working on another story with Reformativeschool!Dalton and Badboy!Blaine. I'm not uploading any of it until it's entirely done though, so it likely won't be up for a while. I've got most of chapter 1 done, and I only work on it when I've got writers block for my other stories. It's somewhat different of a reformative school, more like a psychiatric hospital seeing as I've got experience with something similar to one, but yeah.

I ramble. A lot. If any of you read this, Merlin bless your soul so you don't die of boredom.

Annie24601- I totally am, first time in... 8 years. Full of singing Disney and AVPM songs~ And totally, I can _not_ miss out on that chance, although seeing as I'm me, it will be slightly different, and have things only slightly near what happens in the show. But I need to see a drunk Blaine xD He's soo funny.

Sarahamanda - Thanks~

MegalegU - Thank you very much :3 And seriously? xDD A few times I've had to lock the car door while on a high way so as to stop myself, and that started when I was like, 8... I just found out I had anxiety last year. It explains soo much xD And thanks! :D For the record, I must say, Three Days Grace is a wonderfully awesome band. And those songs are really good~

Thenumberonefemalediva - Aww DD: Don't cry, crying means your sad! Sadness isn't being happy! And Happiness is gooood! SO SMILE! I ORDER YOU TO SMILE, RIGHT NOW! SMILEEEEE *pushes your cheeks upwards to make you smile* Thar :3

Hazy84 - Thanks :3 And you all are seriously making me feel heartless... I was honestly laughing while writing part of it...

KittyKatSisters - *lsitens to the song* Well, this song sounds familiar... anyways, I could totally see how it was stuck in your head while reading this. I might even have to use it sometime... *smirk*

Klaine . is . bigger . than . Glee - Well, you had better not. And seriously? xD The title is really random to me... I just couldn't really think of anything else. And hey, everyone's input counts to me, so it's worth more than 2 cents :3 And I AM NOT A LEGEND D: I am simply a... mediocre teenager writer. I'ma go with that. And smooth xD I could never get tipsy... any form of alcohol makes me want to vomit just from the smell xDD *HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGS back*

mcdreamydreamsofme - Ahh yes, The Script is a wonderful band. And if it makes you feel better, I get scary creepy obsessions over stuff all the time. Such as Glee and Harry Potter. And My Little Pony. That's a _wonderful_ show full of life lessons and... OMFG FLYING RAINBOW MAGICAL PEGASUS *glomps it*... I'm really just an overgrown child... feel free to ignore me xD

Aria657 - That it is. And my Ipod is all Starkid, Glee, Darren, WizardRock, and my brother's music for the most part. And for the record, Wicked is wonderful. I saw it on Broadway once, front row, but I had to stupid flu and couldn't properly enjoy it *sniffle*. And nope, I've never read spah universe... what is it? o3o *is now very curious* Well, I was ditched again today because I'm lazy. But I like it better, my family's annoying, as most are xD And more like they are long, weird, crazy, and full of rambles seeing as I don't have a social life and instead ramble to all of you poor, poor readers xD\

FutureActressKS - Wow, thanks a lot :3 And yeah, I just wanted to do something to cause that reaction that _**wasn't**_ normally used, thus having a very depressing, sad, bittersweet first kiss.

Chelsea Avenue - Thank you ^^' I'm glad your enjoying it, and jeez, I feel soo heartless seeing as I'm all happy la-di-da while writing this, and I make people cry (and in one case, gave my friend a nightmare, apparently o3o) And it had to be done. Those glasses are too awesome to not incorporate.

Well. Hopefully I'll get something written soon, and hopefully I'll have internet. And hopefully I don't go braindead, and HOPEFULLY I don't get sick from stuffing my face with Harry Potter foods *evil grin* He he. I'd send you all some, but that would cost a lot of money, and there's... currently 301 of you fallowing this story. I don't even have enough money if one glass of butterbeer cost a dollar... so, I wish you luck in your aparation training and hope that you can magicly get there to have your own soon :D

Have a great week, and good luck to those of you trying to get into Pottermore! (I never have the chance to try *poutyface* Stupid having to wake up early to leave for the parks *grumblegrumble)

~Josh


	24. Authors Note

**A/N:**

I always told myself I'd never have a chapter dedicated to just an authors note... but looky here. It's an Authors Note. But that's because I has a question for all of you.

Honestly, I hate this story. It's awful, the plot is impossible to discover, and it has more plot holes than Swiss cheese. I have forgotten to put in so many things I meant to, and I'm pretty positive I contradict myself at least seven times.**  
**

So, I can either A. End this story in like, 1-3 chapters and just leave some parts of the story unresolved, or B. Ask if one of you wants to take it over.

Now, if someone wanted to take it over, they could go back and change the first... 23(I think it is...) chapters to fix my awful-ness. I would go back and do it myself, but... I really don't want to. It's over 50,000 words long (likely about 60,000 now, that was like, 2-ish chapters ago I had 50,000) and... I'm lazy. Not to mention, as I said before, hate this story.

I really, _really_ **wanted** to finish this story, but... I don't know where it's going. See, this is why it's smart to PLAN OUT plots sometimes. Which I never do, and thus, I screw myself up like this. Now, I _could_ always try and wrap it up quickly, but it'd likely leave some things unresolved. Or I could just end the story right where I have it, and have a chapter for an epilogue to show things in the future.

But ya, I really have no idea what to do. Because I don't want to keep writing this story anymore. I want to start different stories, things that I'd really be into writing and working on. As much as I love all of you, I just... can't write this story. I can't get anything out anymore. I spent a few hours staring at a blank word document whilst in Florida, trying to think of what to write and got... nothing.

So, I really just want your opinions on what I should do. Wrap it up, find someone else to write it (I'm not going to search someone out, only if someone offers), or write a short epilogue.

I do feel really bad, and I thank all of you for having read this story and put up with the awful planning skills I have. It really did mean a lot to me that so many of you would read this, and I wish I'd done a better job ^^' With any luck, I'll be able to plot something out and start writing something else soon.

So, thanks to everyone here,

~Josh

PS I'll be removing this chapter once I come to my decision. I hate having an AN chapter... bugs me.


	25. Chapter 24 Panic

**A/N: **For the record, I had this done two weeks ago. Danielle just didn't have time to edit it... BLAME HER. But yeah, I'm reeeeally sorry this took so long. But, this is the second to last chapter, and I'll have the last one up in like, 10 minutes? And for the record, this is a terrible ending. I can't even remember if it relates to the story at all. I forget what I wrote. But, I will comment on that at the bottom if this chapter.

AAAAAAALSO, I've been mapping out another story line. Yes, mapping it out. Danielle almost fainted when I told her I actually _planned_ stuff. She thinks I'm not me now, and that someone took over my mind. It's got Klaine. But it's also got Dameron, because I love those two. And I'd tell you what it's about, but I'm tired. And that's boring. But I just wanted to let you all know I'll write something _better_ soon. And hopefully it won't end up as confusing as this story xD

On a last note before you start, I have a bag of redvines in my drawer. I can't eat them. They tasted okay... until the aftertaste came whilst I was still chewing. They're awful. But I still have them for the sake of saying I have them~ (My whole ANime Club went out to buy some too. Lets just say there are now small pieces of redvines outside the library o3o)

* * *

One week had passed since the day Kurt and Blaine had gotten together. When they had returned to the choir room hand-in-hand, they blushed as applause and cat-calls came from his fellow Gleeks. Finn looked completely and utterly confused and was just about to ask what the hell was going on when Kurt cut him off, saying that his love-life was ten times more confusing than Kurt's own, and he can either figure it out on his own or drop it. Blaine had snickered quietly as the two took their seats for the last few minutes of Glee.  
Not much had really changed since then. Blaine still didn't really sing much in Glee, and was still afraid to really show public affection much. Kurt said he didn't mind, but he was somewhat disappointed. He knew he was being selfish, but… all he really wanted was to be able to hold hands with a boy he liked and walk down the hall. But Blaine wasn't comfortable with it. So he'd wait… however long that may be.  
They had only kissed twice since that day as well. Kurt really wasn't all that into anything… sexual. Puck had called him a prude when he kissed Blaine on the cheek at the beginning of Glee, and his response had simply been to bitch-glare at the football player and pull Blaine to their seats in the back as the dark-haired boy tried to hide his smile.  
But really, not much had changed since then. They were still best friends, that's what mattered. The only differences were handholding when they weren't at school or an overly-public locations, Burt had them keep the door open when they were at his house, and Blaine seemed to say 'I love you' every time they had to separate. Kurt still hadn't said it back though. He knew that one day, it would come out when the feeling was... right. So, Kurt would simply smile, squeeze his hand, or occasionally kiss his cheeks, his lips lingering a few seconds longer than just-friends' would. All of these things would leave Blaine grinning his stupid I'm-so-in-love-with-you grin that had Kurt smiling back and chuckling softly.  
Blaine was a goofball sometimes. But he was _his_ goofball.

* * *

Blaine himself was quite elated with the past week. He'd been staying at the Berry's whenever he wasn't at Kurt's. He still didn't speak much, but he knew he was starting to get over it. It would just take time to get use to the fact that anyone _wanted_ him to. That someone – or a club of people in this case – would listen to what he had to day without punching him in the face afterwards.  
He hadn't been home except for a few times late at night. Or, early in the morning depending on how you looked at it. His guitar was at the Berry's house, as well as a bag of his clothes. He would thank the Berry's each and every night for letting him stay there. It was one of the few times he'd really talk when he wasn't around Kurt, and even then he didn't speak much. They'd smile every time and Leroy would ruffle his hair if it was gel-free.  
He guessed that that would annoy most people but… they were both like the fatherly figures he never got. He'd simply grin up at the two every time, and pull them into a hug. Rachel would joke that with his height they really could pass for brother and sister, and her father's would laugh as Blaine smiled.  
He truly felt at home with them.  
Which is why he hadn't wanted to head home that Friday night (Or Saturday morning, really). But he'd told Rachel about a book of Broadway sheet music he'd gotten a few weeks back, and she had seemed so ecstatic about wanting to sing a duet for him, and had begged him to grab it next time he went home. He'd simply smiled and held his pinky up and the two pinkie-promised before breaking out into laughter.  
And yet, here he was, sneaking threw the front door with the key he'd almost forgotten he had. Normally he'd climb up through the window using the fence-like material leaned up against the side of the building, the vines growing on it being a good grip. But it was gone. And looking up, he saw that his window was locked shut anyways. That alone should have been a tip off to him, his parents _never_ went in his room whether he was home or not, but he was really too tired to care much or think into it.  
He'd been having nightmares again. They were similar to the one he'd had in the choir room, only Kurt had been there. And Kurt was telling him he was nothing. The Berry's were laughing in the background, Leroy and Hiram each having a hand on Rachel's shoulder, a smug grin on her face. And occasionally, when he hadn't woken up yet, his parents would be there too. They would be glaring at him, talking to him for the first time in ages.  
'_Will you ever stop being such a _fag_ and go do something with your life instead of leaching off of your mother and I?'_  
'_We should've just dropped you off at a foster home when we had the chance.'_  
'_No one wants you. And if anyone's ever _stupid_ enough to, they'll just drop you on your ass when they realize how _stupid_ and _awful_ you really are.'_  
He didn't even try to remember any more than that, but he knew that wasn't even a tenth of it. They were all things he'd heard before, too. Some from bullies, but most things his parents had told him when he was younger. He couldn't even remember the last time his parents called him by his name. It was always 'brat' or 'kid' or occasionally 'fag'. Sure, they didn't care if he was gay, but they knew it bothered him. And so they did it.  
'_You're a mistake.'_  
That was one he'd heard many times before. And it always stung, because he knew it was true. Not that he was born unexpectedly, no. But everything he did seemed to be a mistake. He could never do anything right. So, any time he hadn't already woken up by the time he heard those words over the sounds of harsh laughter, he'd quickly snap up out of bed, sweating, and occasionally having Rachel or one of her dad's looking at him with concern.  
He'd never told them what his nightmares were. And luckily, they left him alone about it. They'd offered to take him to a therapist if he thought it would help, but he said no. Not just because he didn't want them to pay for anything (which was a main part of it. He still tried to smuggle money into their wallets, feeling bad that they simply paid for the small amount of food he ate at meals) but because he didn't want to feel like more of a freak than he already was. Not that they'd tell anyone that.  
He'd been too busy thinking about the nightmares, scenes of it flashing in his mind as he winced and searched through the stacks of sheet music he'd accumulated over the years, that he didn't hear the footsteps coming towards his room until it was too late. In fact, not until a dark face nearly identical to his own was glaring at him.  
In fact, it was just like his own, only farther along in age. That thought scared him greatly. Not only because of the fact that his father was there (which was, in fact, a large part of it) but also because he feared ever becoming him.  
Before he could even try to react, the door slammed shut, causing him to jump. He heard the sound of a lock being clicked shut, and ran over towards the door. He banged on the door, pushing up against it only to fly back at the impact of his father kicking the door and sending strong vibrations through it.  
He fell back, eyes widening in panic. He checked his pockets, pulling out a near-dead phone from his pocket. He heard the sound of his parents talking outside and figured he didn't have much time before one of them came in. And he _knew_ they'd either take his phone, or throw it at the wall.  
Fumbling slightly with the buttons as he slid himself back against the wall under the window and opposite of the door, he started dialing Kurt's number before shaking his head and shakily hitting the end button before dialing the Berry's home number and putting the phone up to his ear.  
"Hello, this is the Berry residence. Rachel Berry speaking," the girl nearly sang into the phone. Blaine attempted to speak into the phone, a simple squeak and whimper coming into the phone. "Blaine?" she asked, slightly concerned now. "Blaine, is that you?"  
He nodded shakily before realizing she couldn't see and instead mumbled a quiet 'mmhm' into the phone and closing his eyes, chin tucked into his chest and his right arm wrapped around his legs as his left shakily supported the phone up against his ear.  
"Blaine, what's wrong? You're scaring me," Rachel rushed out, the worry evident in her voice. Rachel may seem self-centered sometimes, but she really did care for her friends. Especially Blaine. He really was like her brother.  
"I-I'm at m-my parents h-house…" he'd pretty much stopped referring to it as his own. In his mind, he didn't really have a home, but the Berry's was as close as he could help. "Th-they locked me i-in my room and I d-"  
He didn't get a chance to finish as the phone was swatted out of his hand, and Rachel was left to freak out as the line went dead.

* * *

"KURT!"  
The countertenor groaned at the sound of a shrill voice he didn't think he'd ever really forget. He simply rolled over in his bed after looking at his clock. Three in the morning. He was probably still just dreaming… she'd go away soon eno-  
"KURT! KURT, IT'S IMPORTANT!"  
Groaning, Kurt slowly rolled out of his bed, eyes snapping wide open and rushing to the stairs without even bothering to change from his light-blue silky pajamas as he heard the next two words come out of her mouth. Two words he really, really hoped he had imagined.  
"IT'S BLAINE!"

* * *

Rachel panted as she looked up hopelessly at Kurt's window, her fathers sitting in the car a few yards behind her. She was about to call out again when she saw a lanky figure come out the door sleepily.  
"Rachel, what are you doing here?" Finn slurred, rubbing his eyes. Rachel ran over to him, and for once pushed past him without paying him any notice. She could already feel a few tears leaking from her eyes, but couldn't be bothered to wipe them away as she called Kurt's name again, Kurt running down the stairs a mere second later.  
"Rachel? Kurt? What the hell is going on?" Finn asked, slightly more awake now.  
"Kurt? Finn? What's going on? It's three in the morning!" Burt called, walking over to the stairs with Carol in tow. Spotting Rachel's tear-stained face and Kurt quickly throwing on one of his father's old jackets, he rushed down the stairs.  
"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" he ordered, grabbing onto Kurt's shoulders as he started to head out the door. To his surprise, it was Rachel who answered him however.  
"I-it's Blaine, I don't know what happened, but h-he called and said he was at his parent's house and they l-locked-" her voice cracked and Kurt was staring at her, eyes wide as he listened to what she knew – "him into his room. Th-that's all he told me, the line went dead after that."  
Kurt's panic grew now, and he pulled away from his father and ran out the door faster than anyone had ever seen him run. He stopped as he reached the edge of the street right by the Berry's car. The adrenaline wearing off a bit, he looked around before sighing and getting in the Berry's car.  
Hiram turned around to look at him, and Kurt simply muttered "I have no idea where he lives…" miserably. He felt like an _awful _boyfriend. He'd only been to his house once, he didn't even remember _where_ it was, he hadn't even been concerned when he'd found out that Blaine was staying with the Berry's. He'd just bought the story that his parents were out of town.  
But most of all, Blaine called Rachel instead of him. He's be upset at the boy if he wasn't so worried.  
Rachel hopped into the car, and Kurt saw Finn, Carole and Burt hoping into Burt's truck. Kurt looked questioningly at her as they began to speed down the streets.  
"They care about him to, you know," she said, smiling as much as she could at the time, no longer crying. Kurt flashed her a shaky smile before leaning forwards to look over Leroy's shoulder as he drove, his family close behind.  
Kurt didn't need to ask to know which house was Blaine's. Even if he couldn't remember what it looked like (which he hardly did, in his state of mind) he could hear the screaming as the front door opened and someone walked out of the front door.  
Kurt opened the door as the car rolled to a stop, jumping out the second it stopped. He ran towards the front door, hoping it would be Blaine, but already knowing it wasn't. The door had shut again and the screams were silenced, but the crying he heard was not only to loud to be Blaine's, but also too feminine. Kurt winced at the fact that he'd heard Blaine cry enough to be able to distinguish his crying. _'Never again'_ he told himself.  
The woman spotted Kurt only when he stopped right in front of her. She was sitting on the ground, head down, looking up slightly when he heard Kurt. Kurt's eyes widened as she saw the bruise on her cheek.  
"Please," she whispered. "Please, help him. Please."  
Kurt didn't know who she was talking about. Blaine, or Blaine's dad. No, Mr. Anderson. He wasn't Blaine's dad, because Kurt knew sure as hell that Blaine wouldn't hit anyone, let alone strong enough to bruise. As Carole helped the woman to stand, Kurt quickly pushed the door open, Finn and Burt fallowing right after as he sped towards the source of the screams that were near defining now. And he couldn't help but notice that it sounded like a one-sided fight, that thought snapping out of his head as he heard a short yelp and dashed even faster towards the door at the end of the hall.  
He yanked it open, unable to move at the site he saw. Mr. Anderson was holding Blaine up against the wall by his neck, screaming nonsense at the boy who now had a bruise on his cheek and one on the eye that had just recently healed from the last one. He saw Blaine's eyes open and connect with his own, not even blinking as he felt his father and step-brother running past him. He couldn't move. The intensity in Blaine's eyes scared him. He seemed so scared, but that wasn't all. He seemed like he was giving up. And that scared Kurt more than anything.  
As Blaine chocked again, Kurt sped forward and tried to pull the larger man's hand off of his boyfriend's neck. Finn was pulling at his other arm and Burt had grabbed him around the chest and was pulling him backwards. Despite how he looked, Burt didn't like violence. But he sure as hell would resort to it if he didn't drop the boy soon.  
But it seemed that Kurt snapped first. Reeling back, he punched the businessman in the face with strength he didn't even know he had. His nonsensical screaming halted for a minute as he stumbled backwards, dropping Blaine onto the floor. The boy gasped for breath, wincing as he did so, a slight wheeze in his voice. He lay, crumpled on the ground, hardly even noticing when Rachel and Hiram ran in and picked him up carefully. He just curled up into the older man's chest, gripping tightly at his jacket as he gasped and sobbed, Rachel stroking his head shakily once they got outside. He faintly heard yelling from the house before the door was shut again.  
He felt himself being lowered onto the ground, but simply tightened his grasp on the fatherly-figure's jacket. Hiram normally would have found it funny how Blaine was truly acting like a small child, but… there was no way that anything could make this situation funny in the least. And considering what he'd just scene, Blaine deserved to act like a kid. It wasn't like he got to much anyways.  
"Blaine, what happened in there?" Rachel whispered, rubbing the shaking boy's head, stroking his hair back gently. Blaine just whimpered, curling up more into himself.  
"He snapped," another voice said softly, but shakily. A voice he recognized well. He looked up, spotting his mother standing a good three or four yards away from the Berry's, Carol standing beside her. "He just… he'd been drinking all day… and he heard Blaine come in and he just… snapped. He locked him into his room, and I-I couldn't stop him, and I'm so, _so_ sorry Blaine."  
Blaine's eyes widened as his mother kneeled down next to him, taking Rachel's place. She stroked his bruised cheek gently, leaning down to kiss his forehead softly. "I'm so sorry Blaine, for everything," she whispered so softly, Blaine almost thought he'd imagined it.  
"I-it's okay…" he muttered. No, he didn't forgive his mother for everything that had happened, but he _was_ grateful for what she'd done that night. She'd seen her try and pull his… _father_ off of him. She'd seen him get hit for her, running out when she heard the sound of a car engine. He thought she had left him for dead, but… apparently not. He smiled softly at her before coughing and wincing, rubbing at his neck softly, closing his eyes. He felt himself slowly drifting off to the feel of his mother's hand stroking his cheek, Hiram holding him tightly, and Rachel stroking his hair.

* * *

"Blaine!"  
Blaine's eyes snapped open quickly, wincing as he turned his neck. He let go of Hiram and shakily got to his feet, his mother and Rachel backing away and giving him space. The second he was standing, he was pulled into a quite hug.  
"Blaine, Blaine, oh God, Blaine," Kurt muttered into his neck, arms wrapped tightly around his torso. Ignoring the slight pain in his side from where his father had kicked him, he wrapped his arm around Kurt's back, never wanting to let go.  
"Oh God, Blaine, I thought you said they didn't hurt you," Kurt said, pulling back slightly. Blaine weak smile faltered slightly at the sight of Kurt's tears, not having noticed the wetness that had rolled onto his neck. But he was still glad to see that Kurt's face had remain unscratched. "I should've known, oh God, I'm an awful boyfriend Blaine, I'm so sorry."  
Blaine snickered weakly, unable to really laugh as he hoarsely whispered "Not your fault… 'love you…" He was too tired to really get out an actual sentence, and it would've hurt too much to actually get it out anyways. But he needed to tell Kurt.  
Pulling back slightly, Kurt sniffled and rubbed at his eyes.  
"I love you too Blaine. Oh God, I love you so much…" he said, pulling Blaine close to him and placing his lips softly against the others. He didn't care that his family and the Berry's could see him, or that Blaine's mom could. He didn't care as the sound of sirens pulled up and pulled the shouting businessman out of his house.  
All that mattered was Blaine.  
Him and Blaine, together.  
That was it.

* * *

**A/N:** It's freakin' coooold.

Anyways, I'm likely going to re-write this story... give it a plot? It'll end up entirely different most likely, but with the same concept of Blaine being mute and such. Same basics... only it'll make better sense and hopefully have less plotholes? That's my goal xD But I'll leave this version up too, and just upload the new one as an entirely different story. I'll map it out later and let you guys know when I start uploading it. Hopefully more frequently than this one, but Band takes up my whole life, so we'll have to see xDD

Anyways, ONE MORE CHAPTERRRRRR.I must say, I'm amazed at how many people take interest on this story. Even now I still get emails about people favoriting it and such. 304 of you have fallowed this story, and a little over half of those people favorited it. I want to thank you all for being patient with me while I did this, and I hope the ending isn't soo terrible that you all try and kill me. Because that would be painful.

Sarahamanda - Thank you~

MegalegU - Pfft, of _course_ I patched things up. They're... they're _Kurt_ and _Blaine_. I mean, the whole of second season you know nothing about Blaine _except_ that Kurt loves him. And he's an epic, bi-sexual drunk that can still sing no matter how much alcohol is in his system. So, literally, he doesn't exist without Kurt! :D And thank you~

RChaha - The only time I get depressed when reading angst is in character!death stories. Especially when you _know_ they're going to die somewhere in the story, but then they start getting better and then just... die. Really far into the story. It really... sucks. xD And yes, smut's always fun. But I could never write it... I would feel so insanely awkward and I'd just mess it up xD And really? I wasn't sure if the song fit that well, and I thoguth the chapter kinda sucked, but thank you xDD

..Glee - Well, I found that review to have been very entertaining xDD And yes, it was quite motivational xDD  
I think that if you looked angst up in the dictionary, I'd be right there. I can't seem to hold fluff long, can I? I always feel so... _cheezy_ whilst writing it and it makes me feel weird. I'm not a big social or interactive person, so I don't really know how people act xD And thus I like angst, because I can grasp that concept better and not make it feel incredibly cheezy or cliche~  
I AM NOT A LEGEND! I _AM_ ARGUING THAT FACT! And that just made me want to run down the street shouting 'you matter' and I have no idea why. Look at what you've done to me!

Aria657- Well, now I feel the need to read this. Dang. I've got so much stuff to do... you making me read spah, my other friend litteraly _forcing_ me to read homestuck, and then me reading bucket loads of fanfiction every day xD Oh, um, and writing too... I _totally_ do that all the time... psh...  
The line for that ride _inside_ of hogwarts was freakishly long... and the ride was short... but still fun xDD  
And it's a miracle, there was no angst!... I think I've just made up for that though xDD MY BAAAD. I can promise you fluff in the last chapter though? :D I think... I can't really remember.

sonofafluffymuffin - Why thank you ;D And also, if I haven't told you this, your name is awesome.

uriah cullen - IT'S A MIRACLEE~ And that he is. But I love Finn. He's all... tall and... awkward. And he's a good comic relief sometimes. And sure, have a corn snake :DD I had one in my classroom in 6th grade... his name was Squando. My _history_ teacher passed us around the skin he shed... I still don't understand why she had him and not my science teacher...

Annie24601 - I like Ethan too~... and thus I killed him... wow, I make soo much sense, don't I? And indeed they are. But redvines taste terrible. I can't eat a whole one without feeling the need to throw up.

Gleek318 - Why thank you~

annnd, seeing as the rest of you were pretty much saying that I should continue the story, do an epilogue, ect. ect. I'm too lazy to respond. I'll admit it, I'm lazy, it's a world known fact xD LAZY AND PROUD! But I must say, you guys are all awesome and I LOVE YOUUUUUU. You're all awesome. I hope you know that. I'd randomly message all of you to say that, but... that takes a lot of time... and I'm tired.

Also, on a random note, I just died my really, really dark hair blond. It looks like a light natural red... stupid red pigments. Other times it still looks brown... Fun xDD

ONE TO GO!

~Josh


	26. Final Chapter 25 Always

**A/N:** So. This chapter and the one before it were both edited on googel docs. It looks all squished and it's bugging me. So, it may bug you too. And normally I'd fix it... but I'm tired. I woke up at 5 AM so I'd be able to talk to my friend while she was in the airport about to head home. And now I've also misplaced my phone so I can't welcome her back to the land of the crazy-people-that-qite-frankly-scare-me-sometimes. Because that's what this place is.

But, I am done. Finally. And so I can go to sleep after this. But now that I'm on the computer for the first time this week, I kinda want to go on Pottermore... I got sorted as a hufflepuff. I'd be angry if it weren't for the fact that I can now run around shouting that I'm a jigglypuff. But seriously, half of those answers I _couldn't_ answer properly, BECAUSE NONE OF THEM APPLIED TO ME. And for the record, my wand is springy~ I now imagine myself with a rubber wand... wonderful.

And, I'm rambling. And still really, really cold. So, go read this. Or close your browser. I don't care, just... I'm going to shut up.

* * *

Kurt pulled back from Blaine, holding the slightly shaky boy by his shoulders. "I really, really love you, Blaine," he said with utmost confidence in his voice. Blaine smiled weakly at him, wishing more than anything that he wasn't so tired at that moment. So with weak arms, he pulled his boyfriend into another hug, holding onto him tightly.  
The sound of a woman clearing her throat pulled the two out of their trance. They pulled back and blushed slightly, Blaine stumbling a bit as he got use to standing without Kurt's support. It wasn't that he was in a lot of pain… he was just lightheaded. There was still a light wheeze in his breath making it harder to breath.  
His father had only hit him a few times on the face, and then kicked him in the side a few times. Blaine knew nothing was broken. Really, not much had happened in the time it took for Kurt, Rachel, and the others to show up. Mostly just yelling. But he knew that some of the things said would scar his mind, and make him feel every which way that his father had tried to make him feel.  
The police officer in front of them smiled softly at the two as Kurt noticed his boyfriend's slight stumble and moved to wrap an arm around his waist to hold him up. "I assume you'd like to press charges, Mr. Anderson?" Blaine flinched slightly at being called Mr. Anderson, and saw Kurt nodding at him. But he simply smiled softly, and shook his head.  
Kurt looked wide eyed at Blaine, who simply leaned over and whispered in his ear "'s not worth it. The kids at my old school were worse. Mom can if sh'wants…'M fine, just tired." His voice was slurred, and his head had dropped onto the countertenor's shoulder. His eyes closed briefly as he worked solely on evening out his breathing more.  
"Well, if you're sure…" the officer said, turning to look at the screaming man hitting the side of the police door with his shoulder, trying to get out. "I'd go to the hospital if I were you though, Blaine," she'd noticed the wince at being called by his last name, as had Kurt. "Just to make sure you're breathing evens out and make sure nothing's broken. Do you want an ambulance?"  
Once again, Blaine shook his head, much to the annoyance of Kurt. But Blaine had the corner of his mouth turned up in a small, sleepy smile, and he had pried Kurt's hand away from his waist in order to hold it with his own. Their clasped hands hung limply between their bodies, Kurt's thumb stroking over the back of Blaine's hand.  
"Okay… well, please let us know if you change your mind, sir." And with another smile, she rounded up most of her crew, heading back to the station. Two officers remained, one talking to Burt and the other talking to Blaine's mother. Kurt looked from the house that just seemed so uninviting to him now, to his step-mom who was helping Kurt to nurse a black eye with an icepack she'd gotten from inside. Lastly, he turned to look at Blaine, nearly asleep on his shoulder.  
Looking past the bruises on his face, Blaine looked so at peace. Every time he'd seen Blaine sleep, he'd never seemed this relaxed. He thought back to that time he'd found him sleeping in the choir room and shuddered slightly, the vibrations in his shoulders waking Blaine up.  
"Mm, home?" Blaine slurred softly. Kurt chuckled and shook his head.  
"Hospital, then home," he smiled. He quickly changed his tone to a more stern, and yet soft voice as he continued. "But tomorrow you're going to tell me what happened, mister, okay?" Blaine turned his head into Kurt's neck and nodded, his nose brushing against Kurt's skin and causing him to laugh softly. Inhaling his sent, Blaine pulled back and smiled at Kurt, spotting Rachel walking over to them and flashing her a smile.  
"Blaine, I am so, _so_ sorry, this is _all _my fault," she rushed out before she'd even fully reached the couple. "If I'd never asked you for that sheet music, you'd never have gone home. I should have realized it wasn't safe for you, considering you always go so early in the morning, but I was just being selfish and-"  
Surprisingly (or, not so), it was Kurt who cut the girl off. He sent her strong, expressionless stare, looking right into her watery eyes. "Your right Rachel. It's all your fault." Blaine glared at him, and tears fell quicker and more plentiful from Rachel's eyes. A smile tugged at his lips, and he let go of Blaine's hand to pull Rachel into a hug.  
"It's all your fault that he's okay. You've been letting him stay with you, and you came and got me when he was in trouble. I-… thank you, Rachel, really. Just, thank you." The last bit was muttered into her soft, black jacket before he pulled away, sniffling, and wiping a few tears of his own.  
"Do you think your dads could drive us to the hospital?" At Rachel's worried glance, Kurt laughed softly. "No, Blaine doesn't think anything's wrong, but the officer said we should check his breathing and for any broken bones of anything." Grabbing Blaine's hand again, he squeezed it tightly.  
"And I think I'm going to steal him for the rest of the day, and possibly tomorrow night if that's okay with you," he smiled, looking at Blaine the whole time, rather than the girl he was talking to. But Rachel understood. Muttering a semi-cheery 'sure!', the soloist skipped off in the direction of her dads, recapping what Blaine had told her.  
Kurt, in the mean time, was letting Blaine use him as a crutch. And considering their height difference (which Kurt was now nearly sure was caused by malnutrition – neither of his parents were at all short, both about average size, if not, his dad a bit taller) it was really quite a challenge.  
Eventually, the two made it to the car which was luckily still unlocked. Kurt slid Blaine into the back seat before closing the door and walking around to the other side. Blaine had sprawled out across the back, nearly asleep. Kurt lifted his head up gently, not wanting to wake him, and placed it back on his lap after he sat down. He maneuvered his seatbelt around the boy, and placed a soft kiss on his head.  
"I love you, Blaine. And I promise, I'll keep you safe."

* * *

Blaine had been right. No broken bones, no harm to his breathing, nothing. His voice might remain hoarse for a bit, but it already was somewhat from lack of use. It had just been getting better, though. Kurt was sure it had been nearly back to its normal tone.  
But, he didn't care. He had Blaine, and he was okay.  
They got home around six twenty AM. Burt, Carole and Finn had already returned home, Kurt having refused to let them come to the hospital as per Blaine's request. Blaine had passed out cold while at the hospital, and Hiram had been stuck carrying him to and from rooms and cars. He had placed Blaine in Kurt's bed, Kurt crawling up next to him, gently stroking the boy's hair.  
He couldn't bring himself to smile fully, not after what he's seen at the doctor's office. And what made it worse, was how he got them… Kurt had cried when he first saw them, when the doctors asked if he'd known. Kurt shook his head, holding back a sob.  
So when Blaine's eyes flickered open at two in the afternoon, the first question out of Kurt's mouth was;  
"Why'd you hurt yourself, Blaine?" Blaine looked up at Kurt for a moment, shocked, before letting his head fall back down onto the blankets, Kurt stroking his hair. He took in a deep breath, closing his eyes as he answered, afraid that Kurt would be disgusted by him.  
"I-I don't know… I just… well, I just… did it. I don't do it anymore Kurt, I haven't in over a week. And I don't want to ever again."  
Kurt smiled at that, leaning down to kiss his boyfriend's head. A week ago, had it really only been that long? Well, nearly two now that he thought about it. He smiled, his skin pressed against Blaine's jawline.  
"Kurt?"  
Blaine's slightly hoarse voice broke through Kurt's train of thought. Smiling softly at the boy, he proceeded to run his fingers threw the short, curly locks.  
"Do you… are you only with me out of pity?" he asked. Kurt was shocked at the question, fingers stopping, tangled in Blaine's hair. Blaine sighed, and Kurt realized quickly that he'd likely taken his lack of answer as a yes.  
"No! Of course not!" he nearly shouted. "I don't pity you, Blaine. I _love_ you. And no matter what anyone says, you can't _force_ yourself to love someone. I've loved you since I met you, Blaine, whether I'd realized it at that point or not. I love you, and I will for as long as you'll let me. And even when you realize that you're wasting your time on me, I'll _still_ love you, whether you want my love or not.  
"Because you can't _choose_ who you fall in love with. And I'm in love with you, Blaine. And you need to believe that," he added as Blaine refused to look into the taller boy's eyes. "I'll do anything I can to help you, you know that." A smile tugged at Kurt's lips as Blaine looked at him in pure adoration.  
"I love you, Kurt," Blaine mumbled as he sat up in the bed, placing a soft, lingering kiss on Kurt's lips. Kurt smiled against Blaine's lips, leaning their foreheads together when they pulled back.  
"I love you too, Blaine. Don't forget that. I don't care if you're uncomfortable with PDA, or even with really speaking around other people. I love you because you are the most kind, wonderful, amazing, _handsome_-" he added, just to get Blaine to blush "-man I've ever met. I'd tell you everything I love about you, but you're still tired and surely I'd put you to sleep with a list _that_ long."  
Blaine laughed softly, his eyes already beginning to droop closed even as Kurt finished talking. The brunette stroked his boyfriend's head, tugging softly at the knots in his hair as they both lay back down, Blaine curling up into Kurt's chest.

* * *

The weekend was spent mostly like that. Blaine waking up every few hours, eating as much food as his stomach would allow (which really wasn't enough) and mostly listening as Kurt spoke. Whenever Carole, Burt, Finn, or even Rachel was in the room, he'd never speak. He only seemed to speak to Kurt. It was Sunday evening now, and he had barely managed to get Blaine to even say five sentences to _him_ since Saturday afternoon, let alone anyone else.  
Kurt mentally sighed. Blaine had been doing _so good_, and his father just had to go and screw everything up. Smiling down at his boyfriend's sleeping form, he slowly pulled out of the loose grip around his stomach and slipped out of bed.  
"Dad?" Kurt called softly as he made his way down the stairs. He saw Burt and Carole snuggled up together on the couch, Finn in the recliner by it. The TV was on, playing what Kurt guessed was most likely football.  
"Yeah, Kurt? What's up?" Burt asked, sitting up a bit as Carole moved from leaning her head on his chest to look up at her step-son. "Is Blaine doing okay?"  
"Yeah…" he answered, nodding his head. "Have you heard from his mom, though?"  
The thought had been bugging him ever since the day before. His mother hadn't seemed awful… not the greatest, having allowed her son to live in those conditions, but she _did_ try to help him. And from what Blaine said (or mumbled in a half-asleep state), she'd gotten the black eye from trying to get his father away from him.  
And from the look of sorrow on Carole's face, he knew the answer wasn't one he'd like to hear.  
"She called a few hours ago while the two of you were sleeping," Burt said, not looking at his son. His eyes were glued to the TV, but he seemed to be looking straight threw it. With a sigh, he turned to Kurt. "She said she's moving to Rhode Island with her parents. And that… that she's not taking Blaine with her."  
Kurt stood, stunned, at the bottom of the stairs. Sure, he was glad that Blaine didn't have to leave and live a few hours away by plane, but… how could a mother just _leave_ her kid? A kid with as much emotional baggage as Blaine? Someone who _deserved_ to have a parental figure in their life even more than anyone else?  
"B-but… then wha-"  
"Rachel's dad said that they would take them in," Carole smiled, already having known what Kurt was going to ask. "They said he was there enough anyways, he was their son in every way but legally."  
Kurt couldn't help but smile softly at that. He really, _really_ liked Rachel's dads. Especially now. With a quick nod, he turned to head up the stairs before remembering something.  
"Dad, Blaine said he wanted to go to school tomorrow…"  
"Is he sure?" Burt asked, raising an eyebrow at his son. "I mean, he can hardly stay awake for an hour right now… how's he gonna function at school?"  
Kurt simply shrugged with a small smile. "I asked him the same thing. He just said he'd be fine, and fell back asleep. But his school bag is still at the Berry's-"  
"I can call Rachel," Finn suggested. Kurt turned to his step-brother, having forgotten he was even in the room. "Ask her to bring it into school with her tomorrow. We can meet her in the parking lot or something."  
Kurt smiled at his brother, nodded his head, and nearly ran back up the stairs to crawl back into bed with Blaine, sighing happily as the boy wrapped his tan arms around him in his sleep.

* * *

"You're positive, right Blaine?"  
The boy snickered as Kurt pulled up in the parking lot, and nodded at his overprotective boyfriend as he rolled his eyes. Kurt smiled softly at him before reaching over the gear shift to grab Blaine's hand in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze.  
"I love you, okay? And I'll be with you as much as I can. I know your schedule, so I can pick you up from your classes, and we've got lunch together an-" Blaine cut off the boy's quick rambling with a slightly harsher kiss than they usually shared. Kurt melted into the kiss for a second before they both pulled back simultaneously, smiling at each other.  
"I love you too," Blaine whispered softly before pulling back completely. He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt, popped the door open and hopped out.  
"BLAINE!"  
Kurt turned to see Rachel running over to them as he stepped out from the driver's seat. She had Blaine's bag dangling from her right hand, dropping it right before wrapping her arms around him. Blaine chuckled softly, wrapping her arms around Rachel and patting her on the back with a soft smile on his face. Rachel pulled back, smiling at her best friend.  
"Oh, I'm so glad you're okay Blaine! Are you sure you should be here today though? I mean, it's only been two da-"  
"I've already tried, Rachel," Kurt joked, a smirk on his face. He walked over to the two, shouldering Blaine's bag on the same shoulder as his own. "He _insists_ that he is perfectly capable of functioning despite the fact that he can hardly stay up for twenty minutes before falling back asleep."  
The two laughed as they saw Blaine pout and cross his arms like a small child. Seeing his best friends laughing, Blaine grinned and moved to put an arm around each of them as they headed towards the school.  
Kurt and Rachel talked by Rachel's locker as she pulled out her necessary books before waving at them and heading off towards her class. The two boys waved back before Kurt turned around to face Blaine.  
"You ready?"  
Blaine grinned, thinking more into the question than Kurt likely meant. Kurt probably meant just what the situation would imply – was he ready for class? But Blaine didn't take it that way. He took it as, are you ready to move on from everything awful that's happened? To try and live, to learn from his parent's mistakes. Ready to continue his life, living it to his fullest.  
Little did Blaine know, Kurt had been thinking the exact same thing.  
With a nod, Blaine smiled before reaching out his hand to grasp Kurt's in his own – much to the taller boy's shock – and heading down the hall towards their Spanish class.  
"Always."

**FIN.**

* * *

**A/N:** So, according to Microsoft Word, this story's got around 67,000 words. A few hundred above that, but I don't remember and I don't feel like pulling that document up. That tiny scroll bar bugged me. BUT I'M DONE!... also, I'm writing this authors note before the beginning one. It feels weird... I'm going to go write that one. Why am I telling you all this? Gah. *scrolls up*

*scrolls back down* I have a fluffy kitteh next to me now~ Yey~ She says hello. But, I hope this wasn't complete and utter crap. I know it was crap, but... I had no idea what the hell I should've done. So, this is what you get. And right after a Darren Criss song the song 'moves like jagger' came on my IPod. I find this quite hilarious. I kinda want them to sing that on Glee... I really want Rory to sing that on Glee. I also really want it to be November 8th, but since some people don't like spoilers, I won't say why... but NOVEMBER 1ST WILL BE AWESOME TOO. Stupid cockblocktober... If it weren't for my anime convention next weekend, I would hate this month.

And now, I would go threw and thank every single one of you that reviewed and fallowed and favorited this story... but that would require pulling up _all_ of your names and then sorting threw the ones that fit in multiple ones of those categories and just... too much work. And I want this up before I forget. So instead, I will thank you all as a whole. And I also thank Danielle (redrosegal) for being my wonderfully awesome beta that I love (*cough*hate*cough) ever so much~

And now I must go because my friend is yelling at me to roleplay with her for the first time in months. And I kinda owe her that, so, I hope you guys enjoyed the story and don't want to kill me for an awful ending! Hopefully I'll be able to get a rewrite started by January. I make no promisses, because I want to get A. it all mapped out B. my other story started first. And my other one still has a bit more to do. And all of that takes place at the begining and middle... the end is done. Because that's how I _roooole_. Annnd, I'm a dork. So I'm going to go!

BYE AND I LOVE YOU ALL!

~Josh (I really want to change my Pen Name again, but at the same time, I'm lazy...)


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